Nurses Set to Strike Again Over Pay Deadlock
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has warned it will escalate strikes on 6 and 7 February if no progress is made by the end of January. Nurses in England and Wales are furious after the UK and Welsh governments refused to seriously negotiate this year’s NHS pay deal.
Union Sounds the Alarm
The RCN slammed both governments, saying: “We’re escalating nursing strikes on 6 and 7 February after governments refuse to seriously negotiate.”
While the Welsh government held a meeting last week with unions, they failed to offer a meaningful pay rise for 2022/23. Meanwhile, talks with the UK government have stalled completely, with no formal negotiations to halt the strikes.
“Our dispute is about NHS pay for this financial year and governments have so far wasted chances to avert strike action.”
Strike Action Already Hits Large NHS Trusts
Earlier strikes rocked England, Northern Ireland, and Wales on 15 and 20 December, with fresh walkouts in England scheduled for 18 and 19 January.
Multiple NHS organisations in the South East are affected, including:
- Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust
- East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
- University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust
- Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust
- Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- NHS Kent and Medway ICB
- NHS Surrey Heartlands ICB
- Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust
- University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
- Solent NHS Trust
All these trusts face strikes on both 18 and 19 January, adding to mounting pressure on the NHS and the government.
