NHS cancer care severely disrupted by nurses’ strike action NHS

When the first of a series of planned nurses’ strikes begins next month, cancer treatments will be suspended and patients will be unable to access some treatments.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is nearing a final decision on which areas of cancer services will be affected and which will be protected and when. nurses go on strike On December 15th and 20th, for the first time in the union’s 106-year history.

Cancer treatment includes many types of procedures, including diagnostic tests such as scans and x-rays, chemotherapy and radiation therapy sessions, and emergency surgery to remove tumors.

RCN members are voted to strike At the time, most hospitals and other NHS care providers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland showed strength against calls by ministers for wage increases of 5% above inflation, according to trade union sources.

Senior sources said the strike was expected to last 12 hours on both days, likely between 8am and 8pm.

The unprecedented work stoppage could seriously disrupt care and be the first in the world. A series of strikes during the winter And in the spring NHS staff, including junior doctors and paramedics, will join.

RCN general secretary Pat Cullen said on BBC Radio 4’s Today program on Friday that “services such as oncology would be excluded or exempt from any strike action”, although scans and other It added that it was too early to specify whether services such as checks would be available. Stop or continue.

asked about Colonoscopya diagnostic test used to detect bowel cancer, said Cullen.

However, apparently acknowledging that some cancer treatments will be suspended on strike days, she added: Those that fall under these specific descriptions are disregarded. ”

RCN has nearly completed a detailed list of services across the range. NHS Those that affect medical care and those that do not. Early next week, we plan to finalize that list before a meeting to brief the NHS agencies in each of the three countries.

RCN said it confirmed the date after the British government declined an offer of formal and detailed negotiations as an alternative to strike.

“It’s been over two weeks since ministers confirmed that our members felt unfair enough to go on strike for the first time,” Karen said. Refused, ministers chose to strike instead.

“They have the power and means to stop this by initiating serious talks to address our controversy. Nurse Staff are taken for granted and have experienced enough underpaid, unsafe staffing and failure to provide patients with the care they deserve. “

The strike is taking place after a series of individual votes were held in the NHS Trust and Board, rather than a single national vote.

At over 40% of hospitals, mental health and community services in England, voter turnout is too low for nurses to be eligible to strike. However, in all Northern Ireland health boards and in Wales he can take action in all but one health board.

Mr Cullen said the British government chose to strike rather than listen to nursing staff, adding: “If you turn your back on the nurses, you turn your back on the patients.”

she said she didn’t recognize Number proposed by the Secretary of Health Wage demands from the RCN suggest equating to a 19.2% pay increase at a cost of £10bn a year.

“If [the health secretary Steve] Berkley wants to see me, and he can avoid these strikes if we go around the table and stop spinning and start talking,” she said. It’s wide open day and night, and I’ll be able to handle myself as well as my team on behalf of the nursing staff.”

RCNs are Around £1,400 pay raise awarded over the summer, experienced nurses fell 20% in real terms due to successive sub-inflation awards since 2010. It said the economic arguments against paying nursing staff fairly were clear when billions of pounds were spent on agency staff to fill gaps in the workforce.

Last year, 25,000 nursing staff across the UK left the Register of Nurses and Midwives Council, saying low wages are leading to staff shortages across the country and impacting patient safety. In the UK alone, there are 47,000 unfilled NHS registered nurse posts.

Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streetting said: Patients are already unable to receive treatment on time. Strike action is the last thing they need, but the government is making this happen. Patients will never forgive the Conservatives for this negligence. ”

Barclay said he was “very grateful” to the nurses for their hard work and deeply regretted going on strike. He said the request was “not affordable.”

“Our priority is keeping patients safe,” he said. “The NHS has been working through a plan to minimize disruption and ensure emergency services continue to function.”