UK Braces for Biggest Ever NHS Strike as Ambulance Staff and Nurses Plan to Walk Out on Same Day

Royal College of Nursing (RCN) chief executive Pat Cullen joins RCN members on the picket line outside University College Hospital, London, on Jan. 19, 2023. (Stefan Rousseau/PA Media)

The UK is expected to see the biggest-ever strike action within the National Health Service (NHS) on Feb. 6, when ambulance staff and nurses plan to walk out simultaneously for the first time.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has threatened to stage strikes on Feb. 6 and Feb. 7, which will involve 73 NHS trusts in England and all but one NHS employer in Wales, unless the government agrees to review the pay deal for this year.

The GMB union stated that more than 10,000 ambulance workers, including paramedics, emergency care assistants, and call handlers, will stage strikes on Feb. 6—the same day on which nurses are striking—and on Feb. 20, March 6, and March 20.

On Jan. 20, the Unite union stated that workers from five ambulance trusts in England and Wales would also join the strike on Feb. 6.

Downing Street insisted that the government was still open to facilitating talks with trade unions while admitting that the planned walkout would cause further “disruption” for patients.

It comes after thousands of nurses across England went on strike on Jan. 18 and Jan. 19, while about 1,000 ambulance workers in Wales also walked out on Jan. 19.

‘Disappointing’

Announcing the newly planned strike on Jan.  20, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Rather than act to protect the NHS and negotiate an end to the dispute, the government has disgracefully chosen to demonise ambulance workers. Ministers are deliberately misleading the public about the life and limb cover and who is to blame for excessive deaths.

“Our members faithfully provide life and limb cover on strike days, and it’s not the unions who are not providing minimum service levels. It’s this government’s disastrous handling of the NHS that has brought it to breaking point, and, as crisis piles on crisis, the prime minister is seen to be washing his hands of the dispute.”

Downing Street called the strike plans “disappointing.”

A spokesman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “I think it’s important to say firstly that ambulance workers do an incredible job. It’s obviously disappointing that some union members are going ahead with further strikes at a time with the NHS is already under huge pressure.

“We’ve said throughout this period that we know it will cause disruption to patients, which is why the NHS and unions will continue discussions about contingency planning to ensure we can keep people safe.”

The spokesman said the government is “very much open to continuing talks with the unions” and wants to see “all this industrial action come to an end.”

Prolonged Disputes

NHS leaders have warned of the damage to the NHS caused by prolonged disputes.

“Ten more days of strikes by Unite ambulance staff will make what is already an incredibly difficult situation for NHS patients and staff even harder,” said Miriam Deakin, director of policy for NHS Providers.

“As one of these dates, Feb. 6, coincides with strikes by nurses and GMB ambulance workers next month, trust leaders are facing what for many may be the most challenging day of their careers.”

She said NHS leaders understand that “nobody wants these strikes to happen” but “staff feel they have been driven to this.”

Deakin said NHS trust leaders will do “all they can to mitigate the impact of these strikes,” but “escalating industrial action will only cause further disruption and impact patient care at a time when trust leaders and their staff want to focus on driving down waiting times.”

She said it’s “absolutely imperative” that the government “sit down with the unions immediately to resolve this by talking about pay for this financial year.”

‘Not Affordable’

In England, RCN previously demanded that the Conservative government reopen the pay deal for the year 2022/2023 and offer a pay rise that’s 5 percent above inflation, which ministers said was the equivalent of 19 percent. The union later stated that it would accept a 10 percent pay offer, but Health Secretary Steve Barclay said on Jan. 18 that it would cost “an extra 3.6 billion pounds a year” and is “not affordable.”

Sunak told broadcasters that the ministers are “very keen to have a constructive dialogue” with unions across the public sector and “find a constructive way forward” to end the strikes, but said the conversations have to be based on “what’s affordable” and “what reasonable” as well as “what’s responsible for the country as we tackle inflation, which is good for everybody if we can get that down as quickly as possible.”

RCN General Secretary Pat Cullen told PA on Jan. 19 that nurses are “deeply disappointed” that Barcley had ruled out a 10 percent pay settlement.

“It is disdainful and pushing through anti-strike legislation has been another disdainful move by this government,” she said.

Cullen urged Sunak to “grab the olive branch.”

“It is in his hands to stop the strikes that are planned for the beginning of February,” she said.

PA Media contributed to this report.