Saturday, October 26

Nurses’ strike: Important care exemptions in place for 28-hour walkout, RCN chief insists, forward of commercial motion

National exemptions are in place to offer important care throughout strike motion by nurses, a union chief has insisted, telling Sky News employees would by no means depart sufferers unsafe or create extra threat.

Royal College of Nursing (RCN) normal secretary Pat Cullen was chatting with Sophy Ridge On Sunday forward of a 28-hour walkout by members over pay.

The industrial motion will run from 8pm on Sunday till 11.59pm on Monday night time after voting to reject the newest authorities supply.

Politics newest: Union chief says nurses are pushed to the brink

The union initially stated it could not conform to derogations – broad areas of care the place staffing is assured regardless of industrial motion – fuelling issues about sufferers being put in danger.

It led Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) amongst different organisations to declare a “business continuity incident” till it was assured it might employees its companies over the strike.

The RCN subsequently supplied assurances after the hospital raised “serious concerns”.

But Ms Cullen instructed Ridge wider, nationwide exemptions had been in place.

She stated: “Our nurses, as I’ve said time and time again, will never leave their patients unsafe or create more risk that’s already in the system at this point in time.”

She added: “There are national exemptions in place for a range of services, for emergency departments, for intensive care units, for neonatal units, paediatric intensive care units, those really acute services.

“In truth, it was the Royal College of Nursing contacted NHS England to ask for a course of to be put in place in order that we might ensure that the strike was protected for our sufferers.”

Defending the latest walkout she added: “They’re happening strike as a result of sufferers’ lives are being put in danger each single day, and why? Because we’ve tens of 1000’s of vacant nursing posts.”

Ms Cullen also urged hospital managers to “consider carefully about what they’re saying”.

She said: “None of these individuals, I consider, have walked within the footwear of our nursing employees.

“I would say to them as well, it’s interesting that they’ve come today to talk about the risk that’s posed as a result of our nurses taking strike action, for the very reason that I’ve said, because of the crisis within the health service.

“And I’d ask them, for these different 364 days of the yr, communicate up for his or her nursing employees – inform what the danger is that they’re carrying each single day.”

Content Source: information.sky.com