Connect with us

Published

on

NHS nurses are to strike for two days in December in a dispute over pay and patient safety.

Members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) will take industrial action on 15 and 20 December across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

In Scotland, industrial action is being paused while pay negotiations continue.

The strike ballot among more than 300,000 members of the RCN was the biggest in the union’s 106-year history.

The union has demanded its members receive a pay rise of at least 17%, adding that years of low pay is “pushing nursing staff out of the profession and putting patient care at risk”.

Nurses had given the government a deadline to open “detailed negotiations” and threatened to announce strike dates for December.

RCN general secretary Pat Cullen said: “My offer of formal negotiations was declined and instead ministers have chosen strike action.

“Nursing staff have had enough of being taken for granted, enough of low pay and unsafe staffing levels, enough of not being able to give our patients the care they deserve.”

Read more:
Is your area among the worst affected by nurses’ strike?
Which industries are striking this winter and why

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

‘Enough is enough’ – Nursing union

Pay demand ‘not affordable’

The health secretary praised the hard work and dedication of nurses, and expressed his deep regret that some will be taking industrial action.

Steve Barclay said: “These are challenging times for everyone and the economic circumstances mean the RCN’s demands, which on current figures are a 19.2% pay rise, costing £10bn a year, are not affordable.”

The RCN’s demanding an increase based on the RPI inflation rate (which was 14.2% in October) plus 5%.

In England and Wales, NHS staff have seen an average rise of 4.75% this year, in Scotland the offer was a flat rate of just over £2,200, while in Northern Ireland no pay award can be approved without an Executive in place.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

UK strikes: What does the data show?

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt – who previously held the post of health secretary – said he has a “great deal of sympathy” for nurses struggling with the cost of living, but insists the best way to help them is to bring inflation down.

Data from the London School of Economics found salaries of experienced nurses have declined by 20% in real terms over the last 10 years. This means nurses are effectively working one day a week for free.

That mirrors recent research by the health charity Nuffield Trust, which said NHS staff pay remained lower in real terms in 2021/22 than it was in 2010/11.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

‘Great deal of sympathy for nurses’

‘Something needs to change’

RCN director Patricia Marquis told Sky News nursing pay has fallen behind during the last decade and the action was nurses telling ministers “something needs to change”.

“Our members are sending a very loud message to the government that things need to change for nurses in their NHS,” she said.

“We got a pay award this year of £1,400 which may sound a lot to people, but actually nursing pay has fallen behind over the last 10 years by around the rate of inflation plus 5% – so our members are hugely disappointed that they didn’t get anywhere near what they needed to take their salaries back to the level they were 10 years ago.

“What is really worrying them is the impact that’s having on patient care. There aren’t enough nurses and nursing staff to deliver the care that’s needed. So patients are waiting too long for their operations, they are waiting for ambulances and they are waiting for beds, and it just is not safe for patients any longer, and nurses are saying ‘we have had enough, we can’t continue, something needs to change’.”

SHARE WITH SKY NEWS

Is your appointment or operation set to be impacted by the strikes?

You can share your story, pictures or video with us using our app, private messaging or email.

:: Your Report on Sky News apps

:: WhatsApp

:: Email

By sending us your video footage/ photographs/ audio you agree we can broadcast, publish and edit the material.

NHS vacancies at record high

Nursing vacancies hit a record 47,000 in England between April and June, a rise of a fifth on the year before.

The RCN says 25,000 nursing staff in the UK left the Nursing and Midwifery Council register in the last year.

This summer, MPs from the cross-party Health and Social Care Committee described the staffing issues as “the greatest workforce crisis” in the history of the NHS.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Rishi Sunak says 19% pay rise ‘obviously unaffordable’.

The union blames not just pay, but also heavy workloads.

The RCN is not the only health union threatening strike action.

A ballot among Unison members closes on Friday, and among Unite’s NHS members next week.

Midwives and physiotherapists are also voting on taking action, and junior doctors will be balloted in the new year.

Meanwhile, ambulance staff in Scotland are due to walk out on Monday.

DAMAGING AND DIVISIVE STRIKES ARE IN NOBODY’S INTERESTS

The government says the nurses’ pay demands are unreasonable. The nurses say they cannot afford to work like this any longer.

And right in the middle of the two are the patients who are finding out if the dates announced for strike action will mean their long awaited NHS appointment is going to be delayed. Again.

Both sides say emergency services will not be affected. And minimal staffing will remain on wards in hospitals that have backed industrial action to ensure patients are not at any risk.

The government is putting out reassurance messages to allay patient fears – but nothing to say what will happen about missed appointments, scans, operations and other procedures.

That’s because as the nurses union, the RCN, points out, industrial action must have some sort of impact otherwise there is no point in striking.

So elective lists will be paused temporarily, and the seven million number is bound to grow. That will put more pressure on the nurses and other healthcare workers trying to cut through that backlog.

The nurses argue that only better pay will help recruitment and retention. There are thousands of vacancies – and nurses continue to leave the profession. Their colleagues say they are being asked to step in to fill those gaps by working longer and harder.

The nurses might be joined by other hospital staff as unions ballot their members. That could see paramedics, call handlers and nonmedical hospital staff like porters joining the picket lines.

Hospitals will not be able to function normally. And every missed appointment needs to be rescheduled. That takes time and staff and resources, just as the NHS is buckling under immense pressure.

Morale among nurses has been low for a long time, and many are still trying to process what they have been through. But things are about to get worse.

I have spoken to nurses from both sides – the ones who want to strike and those who don’t. The divisions are already there and set to intensify. That will be really damaging.

It is nobody’s interest: patients, nurses or NHS managers, for this dispute to drag on.

Labour blames Tory ‘negligence

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting blamed the government for failing to negotiate with the RCN.

He said: “Patients already can’t get treated on time, strike action is the last thing they need, yet the government is letting this happen. Patients will never forgive the Conservatives for this negligence.”

What about the safety of patients?

Unlike strikes in other sectors, some nurses will be exempt from taking part in strike action – called “derogations” – to maintain safe staffing levels and ensure patients are not harmed.

An RCN spokesperson said: “We are committed to ensuring life-preserving service is in place and will be confirming derogations with individual employers in due course.”

Click to subscribe to the Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts

Nurses could follow the example set in Northern Ireland in 2019, when staff went on strike.

The RCN has described on its website how staffing was managed on three levels:

• complete derogation, with an entire service being staffed like intensive care units
• limited to a Sunday service or Christmas Day service
• limited to a night duty model

Could agency workers replace striking nurses?

The RCN advice is clear: “If you’re an agency worker allocated to work at an NHS organisation on a day of strike action, we at the RCN expect that you do not cover that shift.

“You could ask your agency to find you alternative work at an organisation that is not taking strike action, for example a private hospital or care home.”

That doesn’t mean agency staff have to follow the advice, though – and some shifts can be lucrative.

A recent freedom of information request by Labour showed one in three NHS trusts have paid an agency more than £1,000 for a single shift last year, and one in six trusts paid more than £2,000.

Continue Reading

UK

Man arrested over wildfire that triggered ‘major incident’ in Northern Ireland

Published

on

By

Man arrested over wildfire that triggered 'major incident' in Northern Ireland

A man has been arrested by police investigating a “significant” wildfire that triggered a major incident in Northern Ireland.

More than 100 firefighters and 15 fire appliances were deployed on Saturday to Sandbank Road, Hilltown, to tackle the blaze which is believed to have been caused deliberately, fire chiefs said.

Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said the fire had a front of approximately two miles “including a large area of forestry close to property”.

It was extinguished at 2.53am on Sunday and the major incident status lifted, the NIFRS said.

“The cause of this fire is believed to have been deliberate,” chief fire and rescue officer Aidan Jennings said.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland said on Sunday that a 25-year-old man had been arrested “on suspicion of arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered, and non-related driving offences”.

“He remains in custody at this time as enquiries continue into the circumstances surrounding the fire,” the force added.

A wildfire broke out in Northern Ireland. Pic: Sky Watch NI
Image:
The wildfire on Sandbank Road, Hilltown. Pic: Sky Watch NI

A wildfire broke out in Northern Ireland. Pic: Sky Watch NI
Image:
More than 100 firefighters were at the scene of the fire. Pic: Sky Watch NI

Various fires erupted across England this week amid uncharacteristically warm and dry conditions for the time of year.

On Saturday, helicopters were deployed to tackle Scotland’s fourth wildfire this week, with police saying a blaze “which started in the Newton Stewart area has spread northwards and is expected to reach the Loch Doon area of East Ayrshire around 12am on Sunday”.

Police Scotland added: “As a precautionary measure members of the public are asked to avoid the Loch Doon area and anyone who may be camping in the area is advised to leave.”

Dorset wildfires
Image:
Moors Valley Country Park blackened by fires this week

Elsewhere in England, Devon and Cornwall Police said they were assisting the fire service with temporary road closures on the A30 in the Bolventor area as they tackle “a number of fires” on moorland.

In Dorset, Moors Valley Country Park was forced to close after multiple wildfires broke out there on Wednesday.

Read more from Sky News:
Zelenskyy makes dig at US over its response to Russian attack
What hopes are there for the future of Prince Harry’s charity?

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Wildfires spread across nature reserve

Separate incidents were then reported at Upton Heath in Poole on Wednesday, and nearby Canford Heath in the early hours of Thursday.

Friday was officially the warmest day of the year so far – with temperatures in the south of England reaching 23C (73.4F) – the highest since 21 September last year, according to the Met Office.

The weather conditions triggered a “severe” wildfire rating for parts of the UK on Tuesday.

Continue Reading

UK

Man shot dead in Stanley, County Durham

Published

on

By

Man shot dead in Stanley, County Durham

Police are investigating after a man was shot dead in County Durham.

Officers were called to an address in Elm Street, Stanley, at about 5.20pm on Saturday after reports of a “disturbance”, Durham Constabulary said.

A man in his 50s was found to have been shot and despite the efforts of paramedics he was pronounced dead at the scene.

His family have been told and are being supported by specially trained officers.

Specialist crime scene investigators are at the scene, and officers are carrying out house-to-house enquiries.

A cordon is in place and is expected to stay there for some time.

Detective Superintendent Neil Fuller said: “This is a truly shocking incident in which a man has been shot and has sadly died.”

He added: “Residents may see an increased police presence in the area. I would like to thank them for their support while we carry out this investigation.

“Our thoughts are with the man’s family at this time.”

Read more from Sky News:
Furious row after Labour MPs denied entry to Israel
Man arrested over wildfire that triggered ‘major incident’

Durham Constabulary has urged anyone who witnessed the incident or has dashcam footage or CCTV to contact the force.

Continue Reading

UK

Furious row after Labour MPs denied entry to Israel – as Lammy criticises ‘disgraceful’ Badenoch response

Published

on

By

Furious row after Labour MPs denied entry to Israel - as Lammy criticises 'disgraceful' Badenoch response

A furious political row has broken out after two Labour MPs were denied entry to Israel and deported after being accused of planning to “spread anti-Israel hatred”.

Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed were rejected because they were suspected of plans to “document the activities of security forces and spread anti-Israel hatred”, according to a statement from the Israeli immigration ministry.

Ms Yang, who represents Earley and Woodley, and Ms Mohamed, the MP for Sheffield Central, both flew to the country from Luton on Saturday – and later said they were “astounded” by their treatment.

Politics latest: PM ‘unhappy’ about Trump tariffs

The Israeli immigration ministry said the MPs were accompanied by two assistants on the trip and during questioning, they claimed they were visiting Israel “as part of an official parliamentary delegation”.

But Israeli officials said immigration officers found “no evidence to support the claim… they were travelling as part of an official delegation”. “No politicians or government officials were aware they were coming,” they added.

The Council for Arab-British Understanding (CAABU) contradicted Israeli officials, saying the women were part of a “parliamentary delegation” on a trip organised by them and Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP).

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch told Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips she was “not surprised” the MPs were detained and that “every country should be able to control its borders, and that’s what Israel is doing, as far as I understand”.

She said she was “very concerned” about the “rhetoric” on the Middle East from Labour MPs and six independents, and claimed there is “a lot of repeating of misinformation, repeating of conspiracy theories” during Prime Minister’s Questions.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Tory leader backs Israel over deported MPs

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy criticised Ms Badenoch’s comments, writing in a post on X: “It’s disgraceful you are cheerleading another country for detaining and deporting two British MPs. Do you say the same about Tory MPs banned from China?.”

Ms Badenoch retorted, saying: “Unlike China, Israel is our ally and a democracy. A good Foreign Sec would be able to make that distinction.”

One of Ms Badenoch’s ministers Richard Fuller appeared to contradict her, however, telling Times Radio: “Any member of Parliament who goes on an official trip should be, I would think, welcomed in any country.”

Chair of the foreign affairs select committee Emily Thornberry MP described Israel’s treatment of the two women as an “insult to our country and to Parliament”.

In a joint statement, Ms Yang and Ms Mohamed said they were “astounded at the unprecedented step taken by the Israeli authorities”.

“It is vital that parliamentarians are able to witness, first-hand, the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory,” they said.

“We are two, out of scores of MPs, who have spoken out in Parliament in recent months on the Israel-Palestine conflict and the importance of complying with international humanitarian law. Parliamentarians should feel free to speak truthfully in the House of Commons, without fear of being targeted.”

They said they had travelled to “visit humanitarian aid projects and communities in the West Bank” with “UK charity partners who have over a decade of experience in taking parliamentary delegations”.

Israel’s UK embassy said the MPs were denied entry because they had “accused Israel of false claims, were actively involved in promoting sanctions against Israeli ministers, and supported campaigns aimed at boycotting the state of Israel”.

It said the women “chose not to exercise their right under Israeli law to petition the court to reconsider the decision”.

As a result, they were “offered hotel accommodation, which they declined” and their return flight was covered by the Israeli state.

“The visit was intended to provoke anti-Israel activities at a time when Israel is at war and under attack on seven fronts. Its purpose was to harm Israel and Israeli citizens and spread falsehoods about them,” the statement added.

“The state of Israel has both the authority and the duty to prevent the entry of individuals whose presence in the country is intended to cause harm to its citizens – just as such authority exists in the United Kingdom.”

Read more:
Video emerges of aid workers being fired on in Gaza
Starmer faces calls for UK’s role in Gaza war to be scrutinised

Earlier in a statement to Sky News, Mr Lammy said it was “unacceptable, counterproductive, and deeply concerning that two British MPs on a parliamentary delegation to Israel have been detained and refused entry by the Israeli authorities”.

“I have made clear to my counterparts in the Israeli government that this is no way to treat British parliamentarians, and we have been in contact with both MPs tonight to offer our support.

“The UK government’s focus remains securing a return to the ceasefire and negotiations to stop the bloodshed, free the hostages and end the conflict in Gaza.”

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Emily Thornberry says Israel has to ‘stop being so thin-skinned’ about criticism over its Gaza war.

In an interview with Sky News, Dame Emily Thornberry said her two colleagues are “highly intelligent, well informed” and “really well respected”.

“They speak on behalf of a lot of people,” said the Labour MP, warning Israel that instead of “alienating” and “humiliating” them it should “engage” with them.

She confirmed the women have landed back in the UK and that “they’ll be okay”. But she added: “I am so angry.”

Labour Friends of Israel said it was “wrong and counterproductive for Israel to refuse entry to British members of Parliament”.

“Over the years we’ve taken hundreds of MPs to Israel and Palestine; it’s vital parliamentarians are able to visit and understand the situation on the ground,” it said.

Continue Reading

Trending