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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Exemptions for Great Ormond Street amid ‘serious concerns’ about strike | Exemptions for Great Ormond Street amid ‘serious concerns’ about strike |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Announcing the incident, Mat Shaw from GOSH said "these children have no voice in the debate and we must protect them" | Announcing the incident, Mat Shaw from GOSH said "these children have no voice in the debate and we must protect them" |
| Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) has been granted exemptions to ease the pressure on its services during the bank holiday nursing strike. | Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) has been granted exemptions to ease the pressure on its services during the bank holiday nursing strike. |
| The London children's hospital expressed "serious concerns" about staffing as Royal College of Nursing (RCN) members prepare to walk out. | The London children's hospital expressed "serious concerns" about staffing as Royal College of Nursing (RCN) members prepare to walk out. |
| During the strike from Sunday to Monday, nurses in the RCN union will not provide emergency care in A&E. | During the strike from Sunday to Monday, nurses in the RCN union will not provide emergency care in A&E. |
| However the RCN said it would consider exemptions. | However the RCN said it would consider exemptions. |
| Union leader Pat Cullen said mitigations were granted on Friday following a request from GOSH, insisting nurses working at the hospital would "never ever" leave child patients at risk. | Union leader Pat Cullen said mitigations were granted on Friday following a request from GOSH, insisting nurses working at the hospital would "never ever" leave child patients at risk. |
| The exemption for GOSH means some striking staff could be called in to 11 areas, including intensive care, so that the services provided are deemed safe. | The exemption for GOSH means some striking staff could be called in to 11 areas, including intensive care, so that the services provided are deemed safe. |
| The RCN has also agreed exemptions in areas of some other hospital trusts in England. | The RCN has also agreed exemptions in areas of some other hospital trusts in England. |
| 'Scaremongering' | 'Scaremongering' |
| According to NHS England, the "business continuity incident" announced by GOSH is defined as any event likely to disrupt delivery of services from "acceptable predefined levels". | According to NHS England, the "business continuity incident" announced by GOSH is defined as any event likely to disrupt delivery of services from "acceptable predefined levels". |
| Ms Cullen said any suggestion that mitigations were not being put in place were "factually incorrect". | Ms Cullen said any suggestion that mitigations were not being put in place were "factually incorrect". |
| She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "All of the exemptions that Great Ormond Street requested of the Royal College of Nursing were granted earlier yesterday. | She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "All of the exemptions that Great Ormond Street requested of the Royal College of Nursing were granted earlier yesterday. |
| "None of those exemptions were turned down," she said. "It is really important for the public to know that and it is also really important for the staff that work there to know that." | "None of those exemptions were turned down," she said. "It is really important for the public to know that and it is also really important for the staff that work there to know that." |
| A 48-hour walkout from 30 April includes nurses in A&E, intensive care and cancer wards across England | A 48-hour walkout from 30 April includes nurses in A&E, intensive care and cancer wards across England |
| "The most fantastic nurses work at Great Ormond Street Hospital and I do not want to be scaremongering them that we have put a process in place that they would all walk out on their patients, that would never be the case," she added. | "The most fantastic nurses work at Great Ormond Street Hospital and I do not want to be scaremongering them that we have put a process in place that they would all walk out on their patients, that would never be the case," she added. |
| The protocol surrounding exemptions requires the RCN to pass its approval on to NHS England, which is then responsible for notifying the individual organisation, Ms Cullen said. | The protocol surrounding exemptions requires the RCN to pass its approval on to NHS England, which is then responsible for notifying the individual organisation, Ms Cullen said. |
| Nurses' strike in England to be cut short after court ruling | Nurses' strike in England to be cut short after court ruling |
| Nurses to strike on bank holiday as deal rejected | Nurses to strike on bank holiday as deal rejected |
| What has happened to pay in the UK? | What has happened to pay in the UK? |
| Ms Cullen added that any derogations being sought by other organisations would be given "very careful consideration" to ensure critical areas of care can continue. | Ms Cullen added that any derogations being sought by other organisations would be given "very careful consideration" to ensure critical areas of care can continue. |
| Analysis, Nick Triggle, BBC health correspondent: | |
| Great Ormond Street Hospital is not the only part of the NHS that has been given an exemption. | |
| Under trade union laws the RCN has to ensure life-and-limb cover is provided. | |
| So while there are no national exemptions this time for services such as chemotherapy and intensive care, the union is responding to requests from NHS trusts for help. | |
| In the first instance it is asking services to try to find cover in critical areas from nurses who will not be striking - around a third of nurses are not RCN members - or from other staff groups. | |
| NHS bosses say many areas are struggling to do this so over the past 24 hours the RCN has granted local exemptions to about one in six NHS trusts facing strike action. | |
| This does not mean the strikes are being suspended just that some nurses are being allowed to be called off the picket line to provide the minimum level of cover needed for life-preserving care. | |
| It is mainly being granted in areas such as intensive care, emergency departments and specialist children's services. | |
| Mat Shaw, the hospital's chief executive, had said: "We respect the right of our staff to take part in lawful industrial action, but after exhausting all options, at the moment we have serious concerns over how we will safely staff our hospital during the strike." | Mat Shaw, the hospital's chief executive, had said: "We respect the right of our staff to take part in lawful industrial action, but after exhausting all options, at the moment we have serious concerns over how we will safely staff our hospital during the strike." |
| The strike was called earlier this month after RCN members rejected a government offer for England of a 5% pay rise for 2023-24 and a one-off payment of at least £1,655 to top up last year's salary, depending on staff grade.The walkout will involve NHS nurses in emergency departments, intensive care, cancer wards and other wards. | The strike was called earlier this month after RCN members rejected a government offer for England of a 5% pay rise for 2023-24 and a one-off payment of at least £1,655 to top up last year's salary, depending on staff grade.The walkout will involve NHS nurses in emergency departments, intensive care, cancer wards and other wards. |
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| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Great Ormond Street Hospital | Great Ormond Street Hospital |
| London | London |
| Nursing | Nursing |
| NHS | NHS |
| Royal College of Nursing | Royal College of Nursing |