By Millie Turner
Nurses in the UK have voted in favour of striking before the end of the year, in the first walkout of its kind.
NHS appointments are set to be cancelled after the historic vote from members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) union.
RCN said its members in the majority of NHS employers in the UK had backed industrial action, after tabling a vote in the first week of October.
The strike will impact operations at some of the biggest hospitals in the country, including Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospitals in London.
Some serious cases of cancer could still be treated, while urgent diagnostic procedures and assessments will be staffed if they are needed to gather data on potentially life-threatening conditions, or those that could lead to permanent disability.
Should industrial action not take place this year, the union will be able to organise a strike until early May 2023.
RCN chief executive Pat Cullen said: “This is a defining moment in our history, and our fight will continue through strike action and beyond for as long as it takes to win justice for the nursing profession and our patients.
“Anger has become action – our members are saying enough is enough. The voice of nursing in the UK is strong and I will make sure it is heard. Our members will no longer tolerate a financial knife-edge at home and a raw deal at work.”
Cullen urged politicians to “look in the mirror” and improve the pay conditions of nurses in the UK.
“Next week’s budget is the UK government’s opportunity to signal a new direction with serious investment,” she said.
“This action will be as much for patients as it is for nurses. Standards are falling too low and we have strong public backing for our campaign to raise them. This winter, we are asking the public to show nursing staff you are with us.”
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