Northern Ireland

Unions 'hopeful' that nursing strike will be averted next week

Trade unions want health minister Robin Swann to sign off on 'safe staffing' assurances
Trade unions want health minister Robin Swann to sign off on 'safe staffing' assurances Trade unions want health minister Robin Swann to sign off on 'safe staffing' assurances

TRADE union chiefs last night said they were "hopeful" of calling off next week's planned strike action after lengthy negotiations with Department of Health officials.

Representatives from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and Unison spent several hours meeting with civil servants yesterday and said they were now awaiting "sign off" from health minister Robin Swann on guarantees around safe staffing.

Speaking to UTV news, Rita Devlin of the RCN said a meeting will take place with union board members today to discuss their position - and hoped they would get an "endorsement" from Mr Swann to allow them to "avert strike action".

Anne Speed of Unison said they still had to "work through the data" thrashed out during yesterday's meeting but that they were more "hopeful" about the dispute being resolved.

On Tuesday, Mr Swann confirmed £30 million had been approved to restore pay parity for nurses and healthcare workers, bringing them into line with their English NHS colleagues.

Pay and staffing were the two key issues at the centre of recent strike action and it was hoped further strikes would be postponed.

Three further strikes are planned by the RCN next week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Pat Cullen, RCN director told the BBC yesterday morning it was "deeply concerning" that she received updated information from officials who said that there "may be difficulties with the minister committing to the issues of safe staffing".

Unison, the trade union which represents the majority of healthcare workers, is continuing with work to rule action.

Health trusts across the north require notification of strike action to plan for thousands of cancelled appointments.

Meanwhile, Mr Swann met with finance minister Conor Murphy yesterday to discuss future funding for the north's health service after it emerged that the money required to deliver key pledges of the New Decade, New Approach document, had not been met.

Last year, a Department of Health chief said it would cost between £750 and £1 billion to eradicate the north's spiralling waiting lists.

Speaking to the BBC's Nolan's programme yesterday, Mr Swann said they "reached out" to Raphael Bengoa, the author of major report on health reform, to "give an update as to where he sees where his report now sits".

In a statement, Mr Murphy said: "The New Decade, New Approach document detailed a new action plan on waiting times, reforms in health and social care and better support for victims of contaminated blood.

"That's why we need a significant funding package from the British government.

“We need to start repairing the damage to all public services caused by a decade of austerity."

Mr Swann said there was "massive task in front of us".

"There are competing demands for additional spending across many key areas.

"The government needs to live up to the commitments it made in the New Decade New Approach document."