NHS nurses across UK vote to strike over pay dispute

Nursing staff across the UK have voted to go on strike over pay levels and patient safety concerns, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has confirmed.

The union said that staff at the majority of NHS employers in the UK have voted to go on strike, although the legal threshold of votes was not met in some areas.

All NHS employers in Northern Ireland and Scotland will be included and all bar one in Wales

Many of the biggest hospitals in England will see strike action by RCN members but others narrowly missed the legal turnout thresholds

It's the first time the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) have voted for UK-wide strike action in its 106-year history.

Health Secretary Steve Barclay said the vote by nurses to strike was “disappointing”.

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting accused the Government of “unacceptable negligence” after nurses voted to strike.

The Labour MP said: “There were no strikes in the NHS during 13 years when Labour was last in government. If we were in office today, we would be talking with the RCN and doing everything we can to prevent these strikes going ahead.

Strikes expected by the end of the year

Industrial action is expected to begin before the end of this year although the RCN’s mandate to organise strikes runs until early May 2023, six months after members finished voting.

RCN General Secretary Pat Cullen said: “Anger has become action – our members are saying enough is enough. The voice of nursing in the UK is strong and I will make sure it is heard. Our members will no longer tolerate a financial knife-edge at home and a raw deal at work.

“Ministers must look in the mirror and ask how long they will put nursing staff through this. While we plan our strike action, next week’s Budget is the UK Government’s opportunity to signal a new direction with serious investment. Across the country, politicians have the power to stop this now and at any point.

“This action will be as much for patients as it is for nurses. Standards are falling too low and we have strong public backing for our campaign to raise them. This winter, we are asking the public to show nursing staff you are with us.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We value the hard work of NHS staff including nurses, and are working hard to support them – including by giving over one million NHS workers a pay rise of at least £1,400 this year as recommended by the independent NHS Pay Review Body, on top of 3% last year when pay was frozen in the wider public sector.

“Industrial action is a matter for unions, and we urge them to carefully consider the potential impacts on patients.”

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