NHS scientists strike over workload concerns
The Unite union claims patient safety is being put at risk
Scientists at a North Yorkshire NHS Trust are striking, over concerns about "unsustainable workloads."
Microbiologists at York Hospital and blood scientists at Scarborough & Bridlington Hospital have walked out, as the Unite union says patient safety is being put at risk.
The NHS Trust says it has plans in place to deal with any disruption.
A Unite union member, working as a biomedical scientist, said: "The dehumanisation and lack of care for the team, including unprofessional threats to force staff to work outside of existing contracts and well above all reasonable expectations, has led to chronic understaffing and failure to retain trained staff.
"The staff turnover figures speak for themselves on that front.
"Staff have been pushed far beyond reasonable expectations and voting with their feet. The service has been led into crisis by the current microbiology leadership and the hospital and trust leadership has condoned this."
The union members have also taken action on 30th September, alongside today (7th October) and 11th October.
A spokesperson for the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust said: “We have plans in place to deal with disruption to services, and we are working closely with our staff and union representatives to ensure we continue to provide safe care for our patients during any period of industrial action.
“We will continue to prioritise urgent samples. Routine testing will however be impacted, and we apologise to patients who may be inconvenienced by this.
“We are planning, as far as possible, to run other pathology services as normal.”