Healthcare workers, including nurses, contemplate a strike, while ambulance crews consider walkouts, indicating a potential disruption in emergency services.
The health service in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland is bracing for a second strike in less than a week, as nurses and rescue team members join forces to press for better wages and working conditions. The industrial action, scheduled for Wednesday, is expected to cause extensive disruption to services, particularly at a challenging time of year for the NHS.
Steve Barclay, the Health Assistant, has invited three unions representing paramedics to talks in an attempt to prevent the strike. However, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) union, which represents the majority of striking nurses, has threatened to escalate strike activity if negotiations do not commence within two days of Tuesday's walkout.
The RCN is demanding a 19% pay rise, claiming its members have received years of below-inflation pay increases. The government, on the other hand, argues that the nurses' demands are unaffordable and has followed the recommendation of an independent pay review body in setting wages.
In an effort to mitigate the impact of the strike, health chiefs have urged NHS trusts to free-up beds by securely discharging patients in advance. Around 1,200 military personnel are being drafted in to cover the striking ambulance workers, who will primarily handle less serious calls.
Dangerous calls, such as heart attacks, will still be responded to, but non-life-threatening injuries might not receive a response. It's important to note that GPs, community pharmacies, and dentists will not be affected by the strikes.
Secured services during the strike include chemotherapy, emergency cancer services, dialysis, intensive care units, neonatal and paediatric intensive care, some areas of mental health and learning special needs and autism services.
The strike involves nurses in about a quarter of hospitals and local teams in England, all health boards in Northern Ireland, and all but one health board in Wales. In addition to registered nurses, a strike by rescue team members will occur on Wednesday, with Unison, GMB, and Unite members participating. GMB union members will also strike again on 28 December.
The strikes in the health service are part of widespread industrial action across various public industries, including border force staff, postal workers, and rail employees. Postal strikes will occur on 23 and 24 December, some of the busiest days for pre-Christmas deliveries.
London Rescue Service has warned that individuals with non-dangerous conditions are unlikely to receive an ambulance on strike days. North East Rescue Service will not be able to respond to all calls of a significant nature, and some patients may need to make their own way to the hospital when it is safe for them to do so.
Measures should be put in place to ensure ambulance patient handovers are maintained to no greater than 15 minutes. The government has stated that the RCN's demands are unaffordable during difficult times and would divert funds from frontline services still recovering from the pandemic's impact.
As the countdown to the strike begins, both sides are urging for a resolution to the ongoing dispute. The RCN has reiterated its commitment to negotiate, but only if talks commence within the stipulated timeframe. The government, for its part, has emphasised the need for affordability and the importance of maintaining frontline services.
The upcoming strike is a significant development in the ongoing pay dispute, and its impact on the health service and the public at large will be closely watched.
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