![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://uknews.evprotec.com/co-ordinated-strikes-by-nhs-staff-could-bring-hospitals-to-standstill/&media=https://uknews.evprotec.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/TELEMMGLPICT000315856565_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqdPLLMxOyt4fQUM0ggA6t9IvMhyWP1NlODfwi1fLYifY.jpeg&description=Nurses, paramedics and hospital staff are planning to co-ordinate strikes over the winter to cause maximum disruption to the NHS, The Telegraph can reveal. The six largest health unions have held talks about launching a series of walkouts at the same time, raising the prospect of already overstretched NHS hospitals being bought to a standstill this Christmas. Representatives of all six major unions are set to attend a crunch meeting with Steve Barclay, the Health Secretary, on Tuesday. It came as new analysis shows the NHS has actually performed fewer operations compared with before the pandemic, despite benefiting from significantly higher spending in recent years. The Royal College of Nursing has demanded a 17.6 per cent pay rise, while other unions are also asking for inflation-busting salary hikes. At a secret meeting on Monday evening, the six largest health unions - Unite, GMB, Unison, the RCN, the Royal College of Midwives and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy - discussed tactics ahead of the talks with Mr Barclay. "There are discussions ongoing about co-ordination," one union source said. "There is no point having a strike if nobody notices. People say 'ah but it's going to be so disruptive'. Well that's what a strike is about, it's not going to be easy.' Synchronised action If the unions press ahead with plans to launch synchronised industrial action, it would result in nurses, paramedics, 999 call handlers, ambulance technicians, as well as porters and cleaners all withdrawing labour at the same time. One union source familiar with the discussions told The Telegraph: "Ministers really need to sit up and see the state of the NHS. The ball is in the Government's court. They can avert strike action by coming back with more money.' A second well-placed source said: 'Co-ordinating strike action is what unions do. If we are going to have a strike, it has to be effective or what's the point?' It also emerged on Monday that the NHS would not get the extra £7){kind=link}
Six largest health unions discuss series of walkouts of nurses, paramedics and call handlers as they demand inflation-busting pay increases
Nurses, paramedics and hospital staff are planning to co-ordinate strikes over the winter to cause maximum disruption to the NHS, The Telegraph can reveal.
The six largest health unions have held talks about launching a series of walkouts at the same time, raising the prospect of already overstretched NHS hospitals being bought to a standstill this Christmas.
Representatives of all six major unions are set to attend a crunch meeting with Steve Barclay, the Health Secretary, on Tuesday.
It came as new analysis shows the NHS has actually performed fewer operations compared with before the pandemic, despite benefiting from significantly higher spending in recent years.