Nurses and ambulance workers in England on strike today

It's part of the ongoing dispute over pay & working conditions

Author: Chris Davis-SmithPublished 6th Feb 2023

Thousands of nurses and ambulance workers are striking today in what many say will be the biggest strike day the NHS has ever seen.

Nurses from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in England are walking out alongside GMB and Unite paramedics, call handlers and other staff at ambulance trusts.

Nurses will strike again on Tuesday, ambulance workers again on Friday and physiotherapists are set to strike on Thursday.

Union blames politicians

RCN director for England Patricia Marquis said: "Since he took office, the Prime Minister has failed to deliver on his promises to the NHS and is letting it deteriorate rapidly.

"More people are waiting in A&E, more patients are stuck in hospitals unable to access the care at home they need, and bed occupancy rates remain at dangerous levels. People are also having to wait longer to access mental health services when demand has never been greater.

"Patients are not dying because nurses are striking. Nurses are striking because patients are dying.

"Our members have a mandate to take strike action for another 100 days and the Prime Minister would do well to see these strikes for what they are - a warning of the need for swift action."

Nurse practitioner and RCN member Carmel O'Boyle said: "In the 100 days that Rishi Sunak has been Prime Minister, I've treated well over a thousand patients.

"I've done dressings, analysed X-rays, given injections and shots, fished glass and dirt out of wounds after a patient has had a fall, treated infections and managed medications.

"I've dealt with aggressive patients, people having a mental health crisis and patients with complex learning disabilities who present challenging behaviour. I've devised countless diagnosis and treatment plans after a full examination of each patient. I've had to impart bad news, and sometimes happier news.

"That's what I've done for the NHS and my patients in the last 100 days in a team that is always short-staffed - what has the Prime Minister done to solve the crisis we're in?"

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."

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