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| Fresh nurse strike dates announced in England | Fresh nurse strike dates announced in England |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Nurses will go on strike again on 18 and 19 January in England unless pay talks are opened, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) says. | Nurses will go on strike again on 18 and 19 January in England unless pay talks are opened, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) says. |
| Nurses at more hospital trusts than before will be involved in the strike action in the new year, the union said. | Nurses at more hospital trusts than before will be involved in the strike action in the new year, the union said. |
| Meanwhile, the GMB union has called off a second day of ambulance strikes planned in England and Wales for 28 December. | Meanwhile, the GMB union has called off a second day of ambulance strikes planned in England and Wales for 28 December. |
| But it announced a new co-ordinated walkout on 11 January. | But it announced a new co-ordinated walkout on 11 January. |
| Two days of nurses strikes were held in England, Wales and Northern Ireland on 15 and 20 December, which resulted in more than 40,000 patient appointments and procedures being rescheduled. | |
| Pat Cullen, head of the RCN, said the union had been left "with no choice" but to arrange January strikes. | Pat Cullen, head of the RCN, said the union had been left "with no choice" but to arrange January strikes. |
| "The government had the opportunity to end this dispute before Christmas but instead they have chosen to push nursing staff out into the cold again in January," Ms Cullen said. | "The government had the opportunity to end this dispute before Christmas but instead they have chosen to push nursing staff out into the cold again in January," Ms Cullen said. |
| "The public support has been heart-warming and I am more convinced than ever that this is the right thing to do for patients and the future of the NHS." | "The public support has been heart-warming and I am more convinced than ever that this is the right thing to do for patients and the future of the NHS." |
| Pat Cullen, the 'tenacious' union boss leading nurses | Pat Cullen, the 'tenacious' union boss leading nurses |
| Why are nurses and ambulance staff striking? | Why are nurses and ambulance staff striking? |
| Ambulance delays outside A&E reach new high | Ambulance delays outside A&E reach new high |
| Health Secretary Steve Barclay said he was "disappointed" by the decision to take further strike action. He said meeting unions' pay demands would mean money being taken away from frontline services, causing delays to patients' treatment. | |
| "Strikes are in no one's best interest, least of all patients, and I urge unions to reconsider further strike action before walkouts have a worse impact on patients," he added. | |
| Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was "really sad" about the disruption being caused "to so, so many people's lives, particularly at Christmas time." | |
| But he insisted he had "acted fairly and reasonably" in accepting public sector pay recommendations and could not risk inflation rising any further. | |
| Watch this video quiz to test your knowledge of nurses' pay | |
| Watch this video quiz to test your knowledge of nurses' pay | |
| 'Amazing public support' | |
| Up to 10,000 ambulance members were expected to walk out on Wednesday 28 December. | Up to 10,000 ambulance members were expected to walk out on Wednesday 28 December. |
| The union said it was scrapping the action next week so that "the public will be able to enjoy Christmas without additional anxiety". | The union said it was scrapping the action next week so that "the public will be able to enjoy Christmas without additional anxiety". |
| The additional day of strike action on 11 January means GMB workers will again be striking on the same day as ambulance workers represented by Unison. | The additional day of strike action on 11 January means GMB workers will again be striking on the same day as ambulance workers represented by Unison. |
| It means thousands of paramedics, call handlers and technicians will walk out in nine of England's 10 trusts, and across Wales in the new year. | |
| Unison said yesterday it planned two more days of strikes on 11 and 23 January in London, Yorkshire, the North West, North East and South West. | Unison said yesterday it planned two more days of strikes on 11 and 23 January in London, Yorkshire, the North West, North East and South West. |
| The unions say they want the government to come to the table and negotiate pay in order to help retain staff and improve patient care. | |
| Rachel Harrison, GMB National Secretary, said they were suspending action on 28 December because they had been overwhelmed by "amazing public support". | |
| But she said the new January strike date showed the union's commitment to getting higher pay for ambulance staff was "stronger than ever". | |
| "The government can now do what ambulance workers and the public want - get round the table and talk pay now. We are here 24/7. Any time, any place," she said. | |
| In Scotland, talks to avert possible NHS strikes in the new year are taking place. The offer of an average pay increase of 7.5% by the Scottish government has been rejected by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Scotland and two other unions. | |
| Nicola Sturgeon said her government would "do everything we can to avoid industrial action" but warned that resources had been "expended". |