CANCER care will not be stopped for nurses’ strikes, union bosses say.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak again branded NHS pay rise demands “unaffordable” amid warnings of appointment and surgery cancellations in next month’s walkouts.
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However, leaders assure that emergency care and cancer survivors will be treated.
Pat Cullen was the General Secretary of Royal College of Nursing. “Services such as oncology will be derogated – or exempt – from any strike action.”
Hospitals currently house around 89,000 people in the United States. On strike days, medics will have to cut down on admissions.
Nurses voted for industrial action at 176 NHS trusts around the UK – more than half in England and all but one in Wales.
Ms. Cullen explained that around 300,000 Royal College members voted and is currently deciding details about which services are not included in strike arrangements.
She said: “We will continue to provide life-preserving services. These people are considered to be in emergency care.
“Services such as oncology will be derogated or exempt from any strike action.
“We have a number of services that we are working through at the minute that will be derogated on the day of strike, and we will release that list soon to employers.
“Those services that are not considered life-preserving or emergency services will not be derogated.”
After ministers and union representatives failed to reach an agreement on raising the pay of nursing staff members, the RCN demanded a 19% increase.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay said the bump would cost £10billion a year and is “not affordable”.
PM Rishi Sunak said: “I have enormous respect and gratitude to our nurses as everyone does for the incredible job they do.
“And I know things are difficult right now for everyone because of what’s happening with inflation.
“I think most people will recognise that that’s obviously unaffordable, and that’s why I’m pleased that the Health Secretary is sitting down, talking to the union, and hopefully we can find a way through this.”