Nurses warn they’re able to strike in New Year over harmful understaffing

Tories did sufficient to “save their skins” however did not deal with the dangerously overstretched NHS in 2023, a union boss mentioned in a New Year battle cry.

In a message at this time, Royal College of Nursing (RCN) chief Pat Cullen warns of additional motion over staffing ranges. She will urge members to “again push ministers further than they want to go”. The RCN is braced for a tense battle with the Government over security, with newest figures exhibiting nurses often look after 10 to fifteen sufferers. The union warns that is harmful, with an alarming 40,000 nursing vacancies in England’s NHS.

Ms Cullen will say: “How did the 12 months go? Politicians solely granted us modest progress – sufficient to save lots of their very own skins however not the revolution that nursing wants and sufferers deserve. Would we do it over once more? Yes, by your actions you pressured ministers to announce a top-up on the earlier 12 months’s pay settlement and provides greater than they’d wished to for the present 12 months.”

She said that while ministers had relented over pay following a series of walkouts, “their want to repair nursing was merely not as sturdy as ours”. Ms Cullen said the RCN would be pushing the Government for a “huge dedication” on staffing ranges and affected person security.

Speaking forward of the basic election, she mentioned well being employees can be pushing all events. She mentioned: “To save their very own skins within the new 12 months, their reply must be higher than what’s gone earlier than. Ours is a proud career with purpose to be hopeful – the voice of nursing is a political one and we intend to make use of it.” She warned that nurses would fight over draconian plans to force NHS staff to cross picket lines.

The RCN boss said: “Despite promises earlier this year that the new Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act would not target nursing staff, we’re now faced with proposals for hospital workers that could see them forced to work during strikes or face the sack. What happens when our politicians turn their backs on us? When governments refuse to hear our concerns about patient safety, pay and safe staffing? We’re forced to strike.”