Army 'could' step in during NHS strikes

Armed forces personnel could drive ambulances and stand in for frontline hospital roles, under emergency plans to deal with a possible Winter of strikes.

Health and defence officials are drawing up a contingency strategy as ambulance drivers and paramedics consider joining nurses on the picket lines in the coming months.

As first reported by the Times, the government could utilise the military aid to the civil authorities protocol (Maca) to keep key services in the NHS running during major walkouts.

Maca was used during the coronavirus pandemic, to help struggling health staff with vaccines, testing and the delivery of protective equipment.

No formal request for help has been made by the Department of Health and Social Care to the Ministry of Defence.#

'We're working on a range of options'

A Government spokeswoman said: "We are working with the NHS on a range of options to manage disruption to health and care services during industrial action.

"Hospitals will do everything they can to ensure patients and the public are kept safe, however planned appointments may need to be cancelled and emergency care prioritised to those in need of urgent care only."

The prospect of strikes being called off ahead of Christmas appeared bleak, as Transport Secretary Mark Harper said public sector pay rises in line with soaring inflation are "unaffordable".

The Cabinet minister said there "simply isn't the money" to meet the demands of workers preparing to take industrial action but hinted at progress in talks over rail strikes.

Mr Harper indicated a change in the mandate for negotiations and said pay rises could come if rail workers accept reforms, after holding "positive" talks with Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union general secretary Mick Lynch.

Nurses are set to stage their first UK-wide strike action next month, as they join transport and postal workers on the picket lines in disputes over pay and conditions.

Mr Harper told Sky's Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme: "Inflation-matching or inflation-busting pay rises are unaffordable.

"I think we want to try and give all the workers in the public sector who work very hard decent pay rises, but they can't be inflation-busting pay rises.

"There simply isn't the money to pay for those given the context, we haven't seen those in the private sector either, the private sector pay rises have generally been settled below the level of inflation, which I accept is difficult for people."

Royal College of Nursing (RCN) members in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will walk out on December 15 and 20, if the dispute is not resolved.

Health Secretary, Steve Barclay, has urged the nursing union to "come back to the table" for talks but he is declining to discuss pay, instead wanting to talk about conditions such as pension arrangements, holidays, rosters and the availability of free coffee.

RCN general secretary Pat Cullen wrote to Mr Barclay telling him it is "negotiations or nothing".

Shapps: 'no immediate plans'

Business Secretary, Grant Shapps, said the Government does not have any "immediate plans" for the Army to step in to help NHS during a possible winter of strikes.

He said he does not think it is "correct" to say the military will be brought in, other than to note the Government "always looks at contingency plans".

"There aren't any immediate plans to do that," he told Sky News.

"And actually the NHS has got some pretty well-versed planning in place for all manner of disruption.

"Of course, ideally, I'd love to see those strikes averted. I don't think anyone wants to see strikes in our NHS. It harms everybody and is to no one's advantage."

Dept of Health: 'door still open'

The Department of Health has not formally contacted the military about stepping in to assist the NHS during planned walkouts, the Health Secretary said.

But officials will consider a range of options as part of contingency plans for strike days, Steve Barclay added.

He insisted his door is still open to continue talks with the Royal College of Nursing (RCN).

"No formal request has been made by the Department of Health to the military but of course we will look as part of our normal contingency plans and a range of options," he said.

"The priority for me is to continue the dialogue with the trade unions, with the RCN - I've been extremely clear that my door is open.

"They have raised a range of issues, not just pay, but also about working conditions, patient safety. And so I'm very happy to continue that dialogue with the RCN.

"But alongside that, it's right that, with NHS England colleagues, with hospital leaders, that we look at our contingency plans and ensure we're as best prepared as we can be, recognising that there will be impacts on patients if the strikes go ahead."

NHS nurses to strike in December in row over pay

NHS staff from the Unite Union protested earlier this year:

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