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NHS leaders have urged the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) to ensure that exemptions for emergency and critical care are included in the next round of industrial action in order to guarantee patient safety.
The nursing strike is due to take place from 8pm on Sunday 30 April and run until 8pm on Tuesday 2 May, subject to the outcome of the legal action that is being taken forward by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.
NHS Confederation say exemptions are needed to allow nurses to work on certain hospital wards during the upcoming strikes, which currently not include any national or localised ‘derogations’. All members of the RCN in England will be expected not to turn up to work so not even ‘life and limb’ cover will be provided.
Reinstate all the national derogations
They want the RCN to reconsider its escalation for the sake of patients in the immediate term and to reinstate all the national derogations that it had in place up until this point, particularly in emergency and critical care.
Previous walk-outs by nursing staff saw exemptions put in place in areas where timely treatment of patients is vital, including in A&E, intensive care, mental health and cancer services.
Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: “While NHS leaders understand why the RCN is intensifying its stance on industrial action, they fear the absence of any exemptions to its planned strikes will put patient care in a precarious position. This is particularly the case for patients who will need emergency and intensive care.
“NHS leaders are worried that this action could lead to hospital wards becoming overwhelmed during the strike days and could even put some people off from seeking the care they need. We are calling on the RCN to reinstate these vital derogations without delay.”
The past six months of industrial action has seen over half a million operations and appointments postponed.
The call comes as members of the Royal College of Midwives in England have voted to accept the latest NHS pay offer, following a consultation which closed yesterday.