People who need care at Harrogate hospital should continue to come forward despite the threat of industrial action, health officials have said.

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust said it has yet to be notified officially that its nursing staff will strike next month.

It comes as the Royal College of Nursing confirmed a national walkout will take place on December 15 and 20 over a pay dispute with the government.

A spokesperson for the RCN told the Stray Ferret exact locations for the strikes will be revealed next week and that next month will be the first phase of industrial action.

They added:

“Not all members at employers where there is a mandate to strike will be called to strike on these first two dates. 

“Phase one could be just the beginning of a longer period of strike action.”

Despite the threat of a walkout, officials at Harrogate hospital have urged people to continue to come forward for care if they require it.

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The trust said that those who have an operation on the planned strike days will be notified if their treatment is affected.

A Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said:

“While pay is a matter for government and the trade unions, we value our staff and want to see a resolution as soon as possible to ensure we can continue to focus on delivering world class patient care to all those who need it.

“We understand the importance of good pay and conditions for individuals and their families, as well as wider NHS staff retention and recruitment.

“We are working to ensure there is minimal disruption to patient care and that emergency services continue to operate as normal should any strike action take place, and have tried and tested plans in place to manage any disruption.

“We are committed to keeping disruption to services to a minimum, and any members of the public that need care should continue to come forward as normal.

“If you have an appointment or operation that is scheduled on a proposed strike day we would kindly ask you to be patient and we will notify you as soon as possible if strike action at HDFT is confirmed and your treatment will be affected.”

Nursing staff in the Harrogate district have voted to go on strike over pay and patient safety concerns.

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust nurses were among those from many trusts in England that voted to strike, the Royal College of Nursing said today.

A spokesman for the trust said it would be for the union to decide when a strike will take place.

Many of the biggest hospitals in England will see strikes by RCN members but others narrowly missed the legal turnout thresholds to qualify for action.

This is the first statutory ballot on industrial action across the UK in the 106-year history of the RCN.

Industrial action is expected to begin before the end of this year and the RCN’s mandate to organise strikes runs until early May 2023, six months after members finished voting.

Nursing staff were balloted following NHS Agenda for Change pay announcements this year. The RCN said in a statement this left experienced nurses 20 per cent worse off in real-terms compared to ten years earlier.

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RCN general secretary and chief executive Pat Cullen said:

“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.

“Ministers must look in the mirror and ask how long they will put nursing staff through this. While we plan our strike action, next week’s Budget is the UK government’s opportunity to signal a new direction with serious investment. Across the country, politicians have the power to stop this now and at any point.”

A pair of nurses from Starbeck who are cycling across Europe for charity have made the trip even more special — by getting engaged in Paris.

Andy Dennis proposed to Tracey Hill at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, and even had friends on hand to film the occasion and celebrate with them.

He said:

“Everything was perfect: the company was lovely, the place chose itself — there was a view of the tower framed by the trees.”

Tracey said:

“He got down on one knee and it felt like going into an exam you haven’t prepared for.

“I just kept saying, ‘What are you doing? What’s going on?'”

Fortunately, Tracey accepted the proposal, and the newly engaged couple have enjoyed some time in Paris to celebrate.

Staying in a hotel for a couple of nights is luxury compared to some of their other experiences so far. Tracey said:

“We’ve been wild camping on our way here. You’re getting up, you feel sticky, you’re in a field, there’s nowhere to wash yourself except with a handful of water from your bottle.

“You’re packing up and off you go onto the road – it’s so hot from about half past eight, you’re just so grateful when you go through a forest.

“We watch out for each other and push ourselves to drink even if we aren’t thirsty, so we don’t get dehydrated.”

Now, the couple are back on the road towards Geneva.

They have told close family about their engagement, and Andy posted the video on his blog about the trip, but it will be many weeks before they can celebrate with friends and family.

They don’t expect to complete the 2,000-mile trip to Gibraltar for three months.

The ride is the couple’s latest fundraiser for Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), a medical charity providing support to people in conflict zones and other troubled areas of the world.

Andy has completed previous challenges as part of a bid to raise £200,000 for MSF, which he has worked for on four missions: Uganda, twice in South Sudan, and in an ebola centre in Sierra Leone.

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In his day job, Andy is a staff nurse on the intensive care unit at Harrogate District Hospital, where he and Tracey met. She now works as a nurse in dermatology at York Hospital.

Both have been supported by their employers, who have given them time off to complete the ride from Amsterdam to Gibraltar. The couple are funding all the travel, accommodation and food themselves, so all money donated goes directly to MSF.

To follow the couple’s progress, visit Andy’s blog or Tracey’s blog. You can donate to the cause by clicking the links from either of their blogs.