NHS strikes: Rishi Sunak says millions will have healthcare disrupted by winter strikes

Rishi Sunak today warned millions of patients will have their treatment disrupted by NHS strikes. 

On the eve of the NHS’s biggest nursing walk-out in history, the PM insisted that the Government has ‘consistently’ met with unions to discuss pay disputes. 

But Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer branded the upcoming action a ‘badge of shame’ for the Government, claiming NHS staff have been left with no option but to strike. 

Up to 100,000 nurses at dozens of hospitals will take to picket lines tomorrow in an ongoing row over wages. 

It will be the starting gun for potentially six months of NHS strikes, with paramedics, 999 call handlers and physiotherapists set to follow suit. 

Pressed on the chaos at Prime Minister’s Questions, Mr Sunak said: ‘We have consistently spoken to all the unions involved, in all the pay disputes that there are.

‘Last year, when everyone else in the public sector had a public sector pay freeze, the nurses received a 3 per cent pay rise.

‘When the RCN asked for more in-work training, we gave every nurse and midwife a £1,000 training budget.

‘And when they asked for nurses’ bursaries, we made sure that every nursing student received a £5,000 grant.

‘That’s because we do work constructively and we will continue to back our nurses.’

He added: ‘There are millions of [people] across this country who will have their healthcare disrupted because of the strike.’

But Sir Keir said No10 has pushed nurses into taking industrial action because it has ‘broken the health system’.

He said: ‘Nurses going on strike is a badge of shame for this Government. Instead of showing leadership, he’s playing games with people’s health.’  

The Royal College of Nursing, the union orchestrating tomorrow’s devastating walk-out, has so far only committed to exempt strikes in some areas.

These include: chemo, intensive care, dialysis, children’s emergency care, children’s intensive care and neonatal services.

It means nurses will walk out of A&E, which will only provide a Christmas Day level of service. 

There have been fears that other cancer care may also be hit, following a letter from senior NHS officials.

But the RCN hit back, claiming cancer patients were not at risk of having urgent or emergency surgeries cancelled because these were already exempt.

The union claimed fears around cancer care had been played up as part of a ‘politically motivated smear’ to put pressure on nurses to cancel the strikes.

Talks between the NHS leaders and the RCN on cancer care are, though, to in fact be ongoing.

Danny Mortimer, chief executive of NHS Employers, told the Financial Times: ‘There are areas where we are disappointed we have not been able to make more progress with the RCN.’ 

In a letter sent to NHS bosses today, Mr Mortimer said ‘the limited national derogations for cancer services’ were ‘a particular area of worry’.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman today said No10 is still in ‘discussions’ over ‘appropriate levels of care’ taking place.

The spokesman pointed to a letter from chief nursing officers about the RCN strike and the need to ensure patient safety.

He said: ‘That is certainly our expectation and if experienced nursing leaders are concerned, we would urge the RCN to listen and set out plans to ensure the services in question are protected.’

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said: ‘Our nurses are incredibly dedicated to their job and it is deeply regrettable some union members are going ahead with strike action.

‘My number one priority is to keep patients safe — I’ve been working across government and with medics outside the public sector to ensure safe staffing levels — but I do remain concerned about the risk that strikes pose to patients. 

‘Nevertheless, the NHS is open and patients should continue to seek urgent medical care — and attend appointments, unless they’ve been contacted by the NHS.’

He added: ‘These are challenging times but we have accepted the recommendations of the independent NHS Pay Review Body in full to give nurses a pay rise of at least £1,400 — on top of a 3 per cent pay rise last year when wider public sector pay was frozen. 

‘Further pay increases would mean taking money away from frontline services at a time when we are tackling record waiting lists as a result of the pandemic.’

Despite the concerns, NHS chiefs have begged patients needing emergency care tomorrow still ring 999.

Deputy Chief Nursing Officer Charlotte McArdle said it is ‘vital’ they come forward for emergency care during strikes.

She said: ‘No one should hesitate in coming forward for emergency care tomorrow — it is vital anybody needing non-life threatening care should use 111 online and people should always call 999 in a life threatening emergency.

‘Across the country, pharmacies and GP services will be operating as normal and patients should reach out to these local services as they normally would.

‘While strikes will cause inevitable disruption to services, local NHS teams have worked hard to maintain as many appointments as possible.

‘So it is important people attend appointments as planned unless they have been contacted for it to be rearranged.’

It comes as Tory MP David Davis, the former Brexit Secretary, said NHS strikes this winter will cost lives. 

He told TalkTV that the public are ‘quite sympathetic’ to strikers — but that they will eventually ‘get quite cross with them’.

Mr Davis, 73, said: ‘It is plain as a pikestaff that the health service strikes are going to cost lives.

‘And, really, if you joined up for the health service you shouldn’t be doing things that cost lives.’

He added that he believes the public will ‘take a very dim view of that’.

Up to 15,000 ops could be cancelled as a result of the nursing strike this Thursday, with further action planned for next Tuesday.

Up to 10,000 patients who would typically be examined for suspected cancer each day may also find their appointments disrupted, Dame Cally Palmer, national cancer director at NHS England, said.

And Britain’s top nurses also hit out at the strikes. 

In an extraordinary intervention, Dame Ruth May, chief nursing officer for England, said many nursing leaders feel ‘let down’ by the RCN’s actions.

The RCN, described as ‘militant’ by critics, promised to ‘make this strike safe and effective’.

Pat Cullen, chief executive of the union, suggested that safety fears were being particularly stoked because the nursing profession is mainly made up women.

She tweeted: ‘Inundated with our members contacting the College today saying they are feeling bullied and afraid to take action now. 

‘This scaremongering has happened to our profession for years. Would this happen in a predominantly male profession? Deeply disappointing.’

Meanwhile, RMT general secretary Mick Lynch, who is currently organising a mass rail strike across the country, sent words of encouragement to striking nurses.

He said: ‘We send our heartfelt solidarity to the nurses and their union the RCN on their historic strike tomorrow, along with our heroic CWU postal workers who are striking on issues very similar to our own.’

Tomorrow’s strikes come before NHS ambulance staff follow suit next week, when  when thousands of paramedics, drivers and call handlers will walk out.

The strike next week will be the biggest walk-out for 30 years, with members of Unison, Unite and the GMB all taking action.

GMB members will take part in an additional strike day on Wednesday, December 28.

In other NHS strike news

Ailing ambulance trust begs patients take their OWN loved ones to hospital… and only ring 999 if it’s a true emergency or they ‘can’t get there by any other means’

Midwives WON’T strike… but the physios will! Catalogue of NHS winter walk-outs grows as unions plan action for early 2023

Ringing 999 on strike days? You might be taken to A&E in a TAXI, health minister admits as soldiers are drafted in to drive ambulances to non-emergency calls