Fresh nurse strike dates announced in England

Nurses will go on strike again on 18 and 19 January in England unless pay talks are opened, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has said.

Nurses at more hospital trusts than before will be involved in the strike action in the new year, the union said.

Meanwhile, the GMB union has called off a second day of ambulance strikes planned in England and Wales for 28 December.

But it announced a new co-ordinated walkout on 11 January.

Two days of nurses strikes were held in England, Wales and Northern Ireland on 15 and 20 December, which resulted in more than 40,000 patient appointments and procedures being rescheduled.

On two consecutive days in January, there will be 12-hour walkouts by nurses at 55 health trusts in England - around a quarter.

Pat Cullen, head of the RCN, said the union had been left "with no choice" but to arrange January strikes.

"The government had the opportunity to end this dispute before Christmas but instead they have chosen to push nursing staff out into the cold again in January," Ms Cullen said.

"The public support has been heart-warming and I am more convinced than ever that this is the right thing to do for patients and the future of the NHS."

Health Secretary Steve Barclay said he was "disappointed" by the decision to take further strike action. He said meeting unions' pay demands would mean money being taken away from frontline services, causing delays to patients' treatment.

"Strikes are in no one's best interest, least of all patients, and I urge unions to reconsider further strike action before walkouts have a worse impact on patients," he added.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was "really sad" about the disruption being caused "to so, so many people's lives, particularly at Christmas time."

But he insisted he had "acted fairly and reasonably" in accepting public sector pay recommendations and could not risk inflation rising any further.

In Scotland, NHS workers are to be awarded an average pay increase of 7.5% - but nurses are still expected to announce strike dates in the new year. They rejected the pay deal, alongside midwives and staff belonging to the GMB union.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said the deal was "the biggest since devolution" and he had no more money for pay this year - but he said he was prepared to meet unions during the festive period to stop further strike action.

The Royal College of Midwives says its members in Scotland may also take action in 2023.

Up to 10,000 ambulance members were expected to walk out on Wednesday 28 December.

The union said it was scrapping the action next week so that "the public will be able to enjoy Christmas without additional anxiety".

The additional day of strike action on 11 January means GMB workers will again be striking on the same day as ambulance workers represented by Unison.

It means thousands of paramedics, call handlers and technicians will walk out in nine of England's 10 trusts, and across Wales in the new year.

Unison said yesterday it planned two more days of strikes on 11 and 23 January in London, Yorkshire, the North West, North East and South West.

The unions say they want the government to come to the table and negotiate pay in order to help retain staff and improve patient care.

Rachel Harrison, GMB National Secretary, said they were suspending action on 28 December because they had been overwhelmed by "amazing public support".

But she said the new January strike date showed the union's commitment to getting higher pay for ambulance staff was "stronger than ever".

"The government can now do what ambulance workers and the public want - get round the table and talk pay now. We are here 24/7. Any time, any place," she said.

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: "We will continue to work to bring together trade unions, employers and government to deliver the best possible outcomes for workers, while continuing to call on the UK government to use the funding it has to provide a fair pay offer to NHS staff and enable us to do the same in Wales."