 Nurses are on course for mass walkouts before Christmas in their first ever national strike over pay. More than 300,000 members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) have been balloted for industrial action - the biggest in the union's 106-year history - with results expected in the coming days. Although counting is still under way, it is understood that RCN officials believe enough members have voted for winter industrial action, which could begin within weeks. Patients could see non-urgent treatment such as routine operations and appointments disrupted if walkouts go ahead but emergency care will not be affected. Hard-pressed nurses are demanding pay awards of 5% above inflation - which mean around 15% - as cost of living pressures spiral. The Government's offer would increase basic annual pay from about £35,600 to around £37,000 from March 2022 - a rise of just 4%. RCN general secretary Pat Cullen said: "Our strike action will be as much for patients as it is for nurses - we have their support in doing this." NHS in staff crisis as 20,000 doctors and 40,000 nurses leave in a year RCN boss Pat Cullen Ballots have been done by individual workplace - rather than across the NHS as a whole - so some hospitals and services may not be involved. A union source told the Observer: "This will see the majority of services taken out, and picket lines across the country." Labour frontbencher Ed Miliband said that looming walkouts were borne of "incredible frustration and dismay" at Tory handling of the health service. He told Sky News's Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme: "Obviously nobody wants to see a strike go ahead including nurses, but the truth is that this is borne of incredible frustration and dismay on the part of nur){kind=link}
Labour frontbencher Ed Miliband said that looming walkouts by members of the Royal College of Nursing were borne of ‘incredible frustration and dismay’ at Tory handling of the health service
Nurses are on course for mass walkouts before Christmas in their first ever national strike over pay.
More than 300,000 members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) have been balloted for industrial action – the biggest in the union’s 106-year history – with results expected in the coming days.
Although counting is still under way, it is understood that RCN officials believe enough members have voted for winter industrial action, which could begin within weeks.
Patients could see non-urgent treatment such as routine operations and appointments disrupted if walkouts go ahead but emergency care will not be affected.