Nurses at Harrogate District Hospital have gone on strike today for the first time ever.
A picket line is in place outside the hospital on Lancaster Park Road for the first of two 12-hour strikes called by the Royal College of Nursing.
Surgical nurses, paediatric nurses and accident and emergency nurses were among those taking part in this morning’s industrial action. Some passing vehicles sounded their horns in support of the strikers.
Amanda Brown and Andy Law, RCN officers from Leeds who joined Harrogate nurses on the picket line this morning, told the Stray Ferret the action was necessary because the NHS is “broken”.
Mr Law added the NHS was short of 47,000 nurses — up by 7,000 on a year ago.
Although the strike will disrupt some services for patients, Ms Brown said people requiring urgent care would not be affected:
“We’ve ensured staffing levels are safe.”
Today’s action is the latest wave of industrial action in the Harrogate district. Ambulance workers, rail workers and postal workers have all been on strike this winter.
Pat Cullen, the RCN’s general secretary and chief executive, has warned the strikes could escalate in the weeks ahead if a settlement isn’t reached.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay has said “unaffordable” pay rises for nurses would prevent investment in the NHS.
Read more:
Why are nurses going on strike in Harrogate?
Nurses working at Harrogate District Hospital will take part in industrial action on Wednesday, January 18 and Thursday, January 19 due to a pay and conditions dispute with the government that has rumbled on all winter.
It’s taking place after members of the Royal College of Nursing union who work for Harrogate District NHS Foundation Trust voted to strike last year.
Harrogate is one of 70 trusts in England that will strike as part of the largest organised action in NHS history.
Here is everything you need to know about the nurses strike.
When is the strike?
The strikes will take place from 7.15am to 8.15pm on both days and there will be a picket line outside the hospital on Lancaster Park Road.
Two days of strikes were held in England, Northern Ireland and Wales on December 15 and 20 but Harrogate nurses did not take part.
What services will be affected?
During the December strikes, thousands of appointments across the country were cancelled or postponed. A trust spokesperson said the hospital will contact patients that have appointments on strike days to let them know if they are still going ahead.
All life-preserving treatment must be provided and nurses in intensive and emergency care will be expected to continue working.
Harrogate District Hospital, Lancaster Park Road.
However, routine operations such as hip or knee replacements are likely to be affected.
A trust spokesperson said:
“We are working to ensure there is safe patient care and that emergency services continue to operate during any industrial action, and have plans in place to mitigate the impact of disruption on direct patient care.
“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 to confirm if your consultation or treatment will be affected.
“The industrial action will see a picket line outside our hospital in Harrogate and we will be working with local RCN representatives to minimise any disruption this may cause for residents in the vicinity and visitors to our hospital.”
Why are nurses striking?
According to the royal college, 25,000 nursing staff around the UK left the Nursing and Midwifery Council register last year. It’s left hospitals with staff shortages which the union feels has compromised patient safety.
The union argues that many people are leaving the profession or deciding to work for private providers due to low pay within the NHS. It has repeatedly called for a pay increase of 5% above inflation.
However, the government says this increase would be unaffordable to tax payers.
Royal College of Nursing general secretary and chief executive, Pat Cullan, said:
“The government had the opportunity to end this dispute before Christmas but instead they have chosen to push nursing staff out into the cold again in January. I do not wish to prolong this dispute but the Prime Minister has left us with no choice.
“The public support has been heart-warming and I am more convinced than ever that this is the right thing to do for patients and the future of the NHS.
“The voice of nursing will not be ignored. Staff shortages and low pay make patient care unsafe – the sooner ministers come to the negotiating table, the sooner this can be resolved. I will not dig in, if they don’t dig in.”
When will the dispute be resolved?
The royal college is yet to reach an agreement with the government over the dispute but talks have been ongoing since December’s strikes.
The government has raised the possibility of a one-off hardship payment to nursing staff but an offer has not been made.
Read more:
- Ambulance workers form picket line in Harrogate
- Picket line at Harrogate station as latest RMT strikes near end
In an interview with the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:
“The door has always been open to talk about the things that nurses want to talk about.”
A trust spokesperson said:
Nurses at Harrogate hospital set for first strike“While pay is a matter for government and the trade unions, we greatly value our staff and want to see a resolution as soon as possible to ensure we can continue to focus on delivering high quality 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.”
Nurses at Harrogate District Hospital are set to go on strike for the first time.
Members of the Royal College of Nursing will walk out on Wednesday (January 18) and Thursday (January 19) next week.
The strike, which is the first national walkout by the royal college, is being held after a dispute with government over pay and conditions.
Officials at Harrogate District Hospital said they were working to ensure the walkout causes “minimal disruption” to patient care.
The royal college said the move was part of an escalation of industrial action.
Pat Cullen, RCN general secretary and chief executive, said:
“The government had the opportunity to end this dispute before Christmas but instead they have chosen to push nursing staff out into the cold again in January.
“I do not wish to prolong this dispute, but the Prime Minister has left us with no choice.”
A spokesperson for Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust said:
“While pay is a matter for Government and the trade unions, we greatly value our staff and want to see a resolution as soon as possible to ensure we can continue to focus on delivering high quality 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 to confirm if your consultation or treatment will be affected.”
Read more:
- Ambulance workers form picket line in Harrogate
- Picket line at Harrogate station as latest RMT strikes near end
Strikes hit Harrogate district
The walkout are set to become the latest to hit the Harrogate district.
Staff from Yorkshire Ambulance Service staged a 24-hour walkout on Wednesday.
A picket line was formed at Harrogate Ambulance Station on Lancaster Park Road close to the hospital.
It was the second time staff at Yorkshire Ambulance Service have gone on strike in the last month, although they continued to respond to the most serious category one calls.
Meanwhile, the RMT Union staged another strike outside Harrogate Railway Station in the latest wave of walkouts by rail workers last Friday.
Ambulance workers form picket line in Harrogate todayStriking ambulance workers are operating a picket line in Harrogate today.
Members of the GMB union began their 24-hour action at Harrogate Ambulance Station, which is on Lancaster Park Road close to the hospital, at midnight.
They were joined by members of Unison at noon.
It is the second time staff at Yorkshire Ambulance Service have gone on strike in the last month, although they continue to respond to the most serious category one calls.
GMB rep and paramedic Neil Summers told the Stray Ferret the state of the NHS was the main reason for the industrial action. He said:
“We are literally sitting outside hospitals with patients in our ambulances for hours and hours because they have nowhere to go.
“The hospitals are full and it means we are not able to do our jobs. We hear calls for cardiac arrests and can’t do anything.”
Todays picket line
Mr Summers said York Hospital was particularly bad but paramedics could still be waiting at Harrogate District Hospital for “up to three or four hours”.
He said there needed to be greater investment in the NHS as well as social care to ease problems caused by bed-blocking.
He said pay was also a concern, as many staff had not had an increase in wages for years.
“My pay isn’t terrible but some people’s is appalling.”
Picket line Jan 2023
The pickets have been joined today by local campaigner Lindis Percy, a former nurse, midwife and health visitor. She said:
“What’s going on in the the health service is shocking and this government has caused it.”
Health Secretary Steve Barclay said this morning the NHS is under “very severe pressure”.
He added the government has announced further investment for emergency departments, as well as looking into ways of targeting how to get patients who are fit to leave into social care.
Read more:
- Ambulance workers in Harrogate district begin strike
- Picket line at Harrogate station as latest RMT strikes near end
Picket line at Harrogate station as latest RMT strikes near end
A picket line operated at Harrogate Rail Station this morning as the latest wave of strikes by the RMT union draws to a close.
Union members are expected to picket the station again tomorrow before trains begin to run a limited service on Sunday.
No further strikes are currently planned and normal service is due to resume on the Harrogate and Knaresborough line on Monday for the first time in more than three weeks due to strikes, an overtime ban and bank holidays.
Pickets told the Stray Ferret the main reasons they were striking were concerns over passenger safety and working conditions, rather than pay.
An RMT member at Harrogate station today.
They said ticket offices faced closure and safety would be compromised by cuts to staff unless they took action.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper has said “it’s time for the unions to get off the picket line and back round the table” and claimed he has “delivered new, improved pay and reform offers”.
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Harrogate hospital nurses to go on strike next month
Nurses at Harrogate District Hospital and Ripon Community Hospital will go on strike next month as part of a national walkout.
The Royal College of Nursing today announced further industrial action on January 18 and 19.
It comes shortly after nurses walked out at hospitals across England for two days this month in a dispute over pay and conditions.
Locally, staff at Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust took strike action on December 15 and 20 — but Harrogate did not take part.
This time, however, nurses at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust will walk out as the RCN looks to escalate industrial action.
Pat Cullen, RCN general secretary and chief executive, said:
“The government had the opportunity to end this dispute before Christmas but instead they have chosen to push nursing staff out into the cold again in January.
“I do not wish to prolong this dispute, but the Prime Minister has left us with no choice.”
The Stray Ferret has approached the trust for a response to the announcement.
However, previously managers at Harrogate hospital pledged to minimise the disruption caused by the walkouts and urged patients to continue to come forward for care.
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.”
Read more:
- Ambulance workers in Harrogate district begin strike
- Harrogate district braced for rail and postal strikes
The walkouts are set to become the latest to hit the Harrogate district.
Rail and postal workers staged action this month, which has affected travel and deliveries over Christmas.
Meanwhile, Yorkshire Ambulance Service set up a picket line on Lancaster Park Road as staff staged a 24 hour strike yesterday.
Ambulance strike to hit Harrogate district tomorrowHarrogate hospital bosses have said plans are in place to “minimise” the impact of forthcoming ambulance strikes.
Staff at Yorkshire Ambulance Service will walk out tomorrow (December 21) and next Wednesday (December 28) for 24 hours in a dispute over pay.
The move is part of a wave of industrial action taking place across England throughout the winter, with rail staff and nurses also staging walkouts.
In response to the strikes by ambulance workers, Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust has urged patients to continue to come forward for care.
A spokesperson for the hospital trust said:
“We are working hard to keep patients safe during strikes, while delivering the best care possible, and patients should continue to attend appointments as planned unless contacted to reschedule.
“Nobody should put off seeking urgent or emergency care during the strikes, with key services continuing to operate.”
The trust added that it has contingency plans in place in accident and emergency, as well as measures to discharge patients, during the days of strike action.
It added:
“The safety of our patients is our utmost priority and we have contingency plans in place to minimise any impact industrial action will have.
“For instance, additional staff will be on duty in our emergency department on these days to manage any increase in walk-in attendances for those people unable to travel to hospital by ambulance.
“We also have alternative arrangements in place to help manage the discharge of patients who are unable to make their own travel arrangements so that they can leave our hospital in a timely manner.”
Harrogate District Hospital, Lancaster Park Road.
Meanwhile, managers at Yorkshire Ambulance Service have urged the public to only call 999 for an ambulance for life-threatening conditions or injuries amid stretched resources during strike action.
An agreement is in place between the unions and the service to cover life-threatening calls.
Nick Smith, executive director of operations at Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, said:
“With continued operational pressures and the added challenge of industrial action, we will have less resources available to respond.
“Services will be severely disrupted, with the likelihood of significant delays.”
Ambulance staff ‘had enough’
Union membership in
Yorkshire Ambulance Service employs 7,200 staff, of which about 4,000 belong to either Unison or the GMB unions.
It is one of nine ambulance trusts across the country whose workers have voted to strike.
Paramedics, emergency care assistants and call handlers will be among those planning to walk out tomorrow.
Staff at the ambulance trust voted to stage the strike in protest at a 4% government pay award.
Rachael Harrison, GMB Union general secretary, said workers have “had enough”.
She said:
Harrogate district nurses vote to strike“The last thing they want to do is take strike action, but the government has left them with no choice.
“(Health Secretary) Steve Barclay needs to listen and engage with us about pay. If he can’t talk to us about this most basic workforce issue, what on earth is he Health Secretary for?
“The government could stop this strike in a heartbeat – but they need to wake up and start negotiating on pay.”
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.”
England Health Secretary Steve Barclay said he “deeply regretted” some union members had voted for action and said the government’s priority was “keeping patients safe during any strikes”. He added:
“The NHS has tried and tested plans in place to minimise disruption and ensure emergency services continue to operate.”
Rail strikes to cause six days of Harrogate district disruption
Rail operator Northern has told passengers to expect six days of disruption during the next wave of strikes.
The RMT union has scheduled strikes on Saturday, November 5, Monday, November 7 and Wednesday, November 9 as part of an ongoing dispute over pay and conditions.
Northern, which operates the line passing through Knaresborough and Harrogate, today advised people not to travel by train on those days.
It also warned that “services are also expected to be affected” on November 6, 8 and 10 November.
The company added disruption would occur “especially in the morning, so please check before you travel”.
The RMT previously announced a strike on November 3, however, this was cancelled and Northern said trains will be operating as usual that day.
The company said in a statement:
“On strike days, only travel by rail if necessary and if you do travel, expect severe disruption and plan ahead — especially the first and last trains of the day. Remember to check your entire journey as other train service providers may be affected.
“Advanced tickets will be withdrawn from sale, until an alternative strike timetable is in place.”
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Picket line at Harrogate station today as rail strikes resume
A picket line is operating outside Harrogate train station this morning as rail strikes resume.
The RMT union and Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (Aslef) are striking today, Wednesday and next Saturday over pay and conditions.
Previous industrial action was cancelled because it coincided with the Queen’s mourning period.
The strikes have affected some people travelling to Harrogate for the three-day Green Party autumn conference, which started yesterday, as well as football fans that planned to catch the train for today’s Harrogate Town vs Bradford City derby at 1pm.
About 15 picketers turned up to support the action today.
Rail passengers have also been warned to expect disruption on Harrogate’s LNER services from today until October 9.
Major engineering works in the Newcastle area by Network Rail will affect many services on the LNER route during this period.
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