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| Nurses' strikes could continue till Christmas, warns RCN union leader | Nurses' strikes could continue till Christmas, warns RCN union leader |
| (31 minutes later) | |
| Pat Cullen been general secretary of the RCN for two years | Pat Cullen been general secretary of the RCN for two years |
| Nurses could strike until Christmas, says the Royal College of Nursing, as it warns it will not pause a 48-hour strike in England over the first May bank holiday. | |
| Leader Pat Cullen told BBC One's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg the government needed to put more money on the table. | Leader Pat Cullen told BBC One's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg the government needed to put more money on the table. |
| But she had "no plans" to co-ordinate strikes with those by junior doctors. | But she had "no plans" to co-ordinate strikes with those by junior doctors. |
| Conservative party chairman Greg Hands said the government's pay offer was "fair and reasonable". | Conservative party chairman Greg Hands said the government's pay offer was "fair and reasonable". |
| Asked whether it is was a final offer, he said the government needed to wait to see what other heath service unions involved in the pay dispute decided in their own ballots - and pointed out that it has already been accepted by members of Unison. | Asked whether it is was a final offer, he said the government needed to wait to see what other heath service unions involved in the pay dispute decided in their own ballots - and pointed out that it has already been accepted by members of Unison. |
| Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said he was "really worried" about the strike action by nurses and he was not in support of it because of the risks to patients' safety. | Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said he was "really worried" about the strike action by nurses and he was not in support of it because of the risks to patients' safety. |
| The strike will involve NHS nurses in emergency departments, intensive care, cancer and other wards, which would be a first as the previous nurses' strike in February included exemptions to maintain staffing in critical areas. | The strike will involve NHS nurses in emergency departments, intensive care, cancer and other wards, which would be a first as the previous nurses' strike in February included exemptions to maintain staffing in critical areas. |
| It was called after RCN members voted by 54% to 46% to reject the government's offer of a 5% rise in 2023/24 and a one-payment of at least £1,655. | It was called after RCN members voted by 54% to 46% to reject the government's offer of a 5% rise in 2023/24 and a one-payment of at least £1,655. |
| When are nurses and junior doctors striking? | |
| Ms Cullen said that after the walkout from 20:00 BST on 30 April to 20:00 on 2 May, the union would "move immediately to ballot our members" on their next move. | Ms Cullen said that after the walkout from 20:00 BST on 30 April to 20:00 on 2 May, the union would "move immediately to ballot our members" on their next move. |
| "If that ballot is successful it will mean further strike action right up until Christmas," she added. | "If that ballot is successful it will mean further strike action right up until Christmas," she added. |
| Ms Cullen rejected calls from ministers to pause strike action, revealing she had received a letter from Health Secretary Steve Barclay requesting that just half-an-hour before she came on air. | Ms Cullen rejected calls from ministers to pause strike action, revealing she had received a letter from Health Secretary Steve Barclay requesting that just half-an-hour before she came on air. |
| She said the letter was "disrespectful" to nurses and and claimed the health secretary had spent longer writing in the Sun on Sunday newspaper than responding to nurses. | She said the letter was "disrespectful" to nurses and and claimed the health secretary had spent longer writing in the Sun on Sunday newspaper than responding to nurses. |
| In the paper, Mr Barclay warned that the strikes would mean more cancelled operations and postponed treatment - and "none of this is good for the NHS or patients". | In the paper, Mr Barclay warned that the strikes would mean more cancelled operations and postponed treatment - and "none of this is good for the NHS or patients". |
| Ms Cullen urged the health secretary and the government to join her union at the negotiating table "very quickly", adding: "And start to put more money on the table, start treat nurses with a bit of decency and a bit of respect." | Ms Cullen urged the health secretary and the government to join her union at the negotiating table "very quickly", adding: "And start to put more money on the table, start treat nurses with a bit of decency and a bit of respect." |
| Asked why RCN nurses rejected the government's pay offer despite the union's leadership recommending it, Ms Cullen said the members believed it was "neither fair nor reasonable". | |
| This comes after a four-day walkout by junior doctors - who are demanding a 35% pay rise - ended on Saturday morning. | |
| NHS bosses have warned a nurses' strike including emergency care staff would "present serious risks and challenges". | |
| Sir Julian Hartley, from NHS Providers, which represents NHS workers, said it would mark an "unprecedented level of action" and warned against a co-ordinated strike with junior doctors. | |
| Liberal Democrat Daisy Cooper said the warning of rolling nurses' strikes up until Christmas "must act as a wake-up call" and ministers should "urgently" find a solution. | |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Nursing | Nursing |
| NHS England | NHS England |
| NHS | NHS |
| Royal College of Nursing | Royal College of Nursing |
| Strike action | Strike action |