Nurses across the UK have voted to strike over this year’s NHS pay award. Royal College of Nursing members in over half of hospitals and community teams in England and all but one health board in Wales will strike alongside nurses from every service in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Commenting on the result, Jon Restell Chief Executive of Managers in Partnership said:

“The government can’t hide from this issue any longer. Hundreds of thousands of other NHS staff are currently being balloted to decide if they will strike alongside their nursing colleagues. This includes thousands of NHS managers who know full well that low pay is making it impossible to fill vacancies in their teams.

“There now has to be concerted, urgent action from government to prevent protracted strikes taking place this winter. MiP and colleagues from all the health unions currently balloting their members stand ready to negotiate with government to avoid these strikes – but ministers are burying their heads in the sand.

“Record breaking waits and delays are becoming a monthly occurrence for patients and this won’t change unless the NHS can recruit and retain the workforce it needs to deliver the high quality of care we expect of it. This year’s pay award doesn’t come close to even matching inflation and that’s on the back of a decade of depressed wages. 

“Fair pay and conditions are crucial to begin fixing the vast staffing shortages throughout the NHS. Unless this is addressed the NHS will continue to lose staff at all levels to other sectors who make them feel valued. No NHS worker wants to go on strike, but the risk of inaction is now too great to ignore – as without changes the NHS will never resolve the current workforce crisis.