Northern Ireland

Nurses set out services that will be protected ahead of December strike dates

The Royal College of Nursing has set out details of what services will be protected from strike action later this month. Picture: Jane Barlow/PA Wire.
The Royal College of Nursing has set out details of what services will be protected from strike action later this month. Picture: Jane Barlow/PA Wire. The Royal College of Nursing has set out details of what services will be protected from strike action later this month. Picture: Jane Barlow/PA Wire.

THE Royal College of Nursing has set out details of what services will be protected from industrial action before Christmas.

Up to 100,000 nurses across Northern Ireland and Britain are due to go on strike over pay on December 15 and 20.

A separate pay offer is currently under consideration by nurses in Scotland.

A statement from the RCN said protected services would include chemotherapy, dialysis, critical care units like intensive care and high dependency as well as neonatal and paediatric intensive care.

The union said that other services would be reduced to Christmas day or night duty levels.

RCN chief executive Pat Cullen said the list of exemptions showed how seriously members took their jobs.

“Every nurse feels a heavy weight of responsibility to make this strike safe. Patients are already at great risk and we will not add to it,” she said.

“This list of exemptions shows how seriously we take our commitment and it should put patients’ minds at ease.

“Nursing staff do not want to take this action but ministers have chosen strikes over negotiations. They can stop this at any point.”

Healthcare workers in England and Wales have been given a payrise of £1,400, but Ms Cullen said experienced nurses were still 20 per cent worse off in real terms.

The absence of a Stormont executive has meant health workers in Northern Ireland have still not received the £1,400 pay increase.

On Monday, two of Northern Ireland's largest health unions are also due to start industrial action short of striking.

Unison members will begin two weeks of action short of strike, with a full day of striking on Monday, December 12.

Nipsa members are also starting action short of striking but will continue on an "indefinite" basis.

A spokesperson for Belfast trust told the Irish News that plans are still being worked on to manage the disruption to patients.

“The Belfast Trust is currently undertaking detailed contingency planning following the recent announcement of industrial action. We will keep the public informed as soon as we know what impact this will have on our services.”

Earlier this week, the Southern Health Trust also said that detailed contingency planning was underway and the public would be updated.

The South Eastern Trust said contingency plans were in place "to minimise disruption" to services during industrial action.

The Northern Trust had also stated it was too early to provide details on the impact of the disruption.