Nurses across Suffolk are on strike today and tomorrow
It's the first time many here are taking industrial action
Last updated 18th Jan 2023
Nurses across Suffolk are going on strike today and tomorrow, in an on-going dispute over pay and conditions.
Members of the Royal College of Nursing walked out elsewhere before Christmas, but this is the first time many here are taking this action.
It'll see staff walking out from many of our county's heath-care providers, including the Ipswich and West Suffolk Hospital.
If progress is not made in this dispute by the end of the month, RCN members will strike again for 12 hours on both Monday 6 and Tuesday 7 February.
"The pressures are simply un-sustainable"
Jane O'Brein represents the nursing union here:
"Our members are telling us that they are working in horrendously stressful conditions. Nurses are nearly 50,000 vacancies short, in England alone.
"The pressures are simply un-sustainable. Our members aren't able to give the safe care that they want to give to the patients- they are just stretched far too thinly".
"We are finding that the NHS is hemorrhaging nurses because of the working conditions.
"You look at what the pandemic brought to the NHS and what our members experienced, they haven't had time to recover from that.
"There's a constant, constant stress and fear that you cannot give care that patients deserve, that something is going to go wrong and someone is going to come to harm.
"Owing to this nurses are leaving, it's getting too stressful and also they can get better pay elsewhere."
Where are strikes taking place?
- West Suffolk NHS FT
- East Suffolk and North Essex NHS FT (at both Ipswich and Colchester Hospital)
-Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (at both the Hellesdon and Northgate Hospital)
All the Trusts say they're committed to keeping disruption to a minimum - with a key focus on providing safe care for patients who need urgent and emergency services, and those receiving inpatient care in hospitals.
What has the Government said about this?
The Department for Health says the government has given over one million NHS workers a pay rise of at least £1,400 this year.
The RCN is calling for a 19% pay rise but the Government say these demands are unaffordable and pay rises were decided by independent pay review bodies.
"Look forward to continuing that dialogue"
Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said:
“Patients will understandably be worried by the prospect of further strike action by nurses - the previous two days of nurse strikes saw around 30,000 elective procedures and outpatient appointments cancelled. It is inevitable industrial action will have an impact on patients.
“I have had constructive talks with the Royal College of Nursing and other unions about the 2023/24 pay process and look forward to continuing that dialogue.”