NURSES at Warrington and Halton hospitals will not be taking part in industrial action planned by the Royal College of Nursing this Wednesday and Thursday (January 18-19).
This is because less than 50 per cent of union members working for Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust voted for strike action.
But RCN members at a number of other NHS organisations across Cheshire and Merseyside will be on strike – including those employed by the Bridgewater Community Healthcare Foundation Trust.
They will be mounting picket lines at their centre at Warrington Wolves’ Halliwell Jones Stadium in Winwick Road.
GMB members at Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust also plan to join strike action on Wednesday, January 18 ahead of further planned action by North West Ambulance Service staff on Monday, January 23 and Tuesday, January 24.
Health leaders admit it is inevitable that there will be some service disruption on and around strike days and are urging people to make NHS 111 Online their first port of call for non-emergency health needs.
Commenting on the NHS strikes situation Dr Fiona Lemmens, deputy medical director at NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, said: “The NHS has tried and tested plans in place to mitigate risks to patient safety and manage any disruption, including industrial action, but inevitably there will be some service disruption.
“Emergency care and other critical services such as maternity departments will be open as usual but, with NHS services already under pressure, it is vital that people use the available services appropriately.
“If you need to access a healthcare service, but it’s not an emergency, please use NHS 111 Online to ensure you are signposted to the right service first time.”
Local NHS services will keep their websites and social media accounts up-to-date with information about any local service disruption – so please check before you travel.
Dr Lemmens added: “The NHS will do everything it can to go ahead with planned procedures – especially for patients in greatest clinical need – and will contact you if your appointment needs to be rescheduled. If you have not been contacted, please attend your appointment as planned.
“Irrespective of any industrial action, please do not hesitate to come forward to access care if you need it.”
NHS 111 Online can tell you:
• Where to get help for your symptoms
• How to find general health information and advice
• Where to get an emergency supply of your prescribed medicine
• How to get a repeat prescription
More information about when to call 999 and when to go to A&E is available via the national NHS website.
1 Comment
The nurses are stuck between a rock and a hard place. The main reason that NHS staff are going on strike is for more pay so that the careers are more attractive to people who are thinking of joining and fewer people will leave. However, it is a sad reality that NHS professional are resorting to Foodbanks and their pay is simply not enough to live on.
I have mixed feelings myself. My husband is due for a serious operation on Thursday but I am really worried that there will not be enough nurses to look after him, particularly in intensive care, and that the ones there will be stressed out because of staff shortages.
If they were on strike I would be on the line with them. The pay they, and other NHS workers such as paramedics must be enough to stop hundreds leaving and to attract talented people as well as being enough to live on.
Nurses and paramedics study for three years, incurring massive debts (at high interest rates, by the way) and are providing care for free during their training.
Cough up Mr Barclay!