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Nurses at half of NHS organisations vote for strike

Published on: 9 Nov 2022

Nursing staff at around half of NHS organisations have voted in favour of strike action over pay and safety concerns, the Royal College of Nursing has said.

The union has confirmed its members will begin industrial action before Christmas this year, with action potentially running until May 2023.

Results confirmed the threshold for strike action had been met at 130 organisations – including trusts, integrated care systems and commissioning support units – across England.

Action will now take place in the trusts where the ballot has met the “relevant legal requirements,” the RCN has said, becoming the first union to announce the results of its ballot while others are expected to follow suit shortly.

It the first time the RCN has held a statutory ballot of its members on industrial actions across all four countries in the United Kingdom. It says it represents around 465,000 registered nurses.

It follows widespread unrest at the government’s Agenda for Change pay award announcement earlier this year.

The RCN is calling for a pay rise of five per cent above inflation, measured by the retail price index.

Pat Cullen, RCN’s general secretary and chief executive, said: “While we plan our strike action, next week’s Budget is the UK government’s opportunity to signal a new direction with serious investment…

“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.”

NHS England has told systems to prepare for strike action by taking part in “multi-day” exercises to stress-test the service’s preparation ahead of winter.

Organisations in England where RCN members have voted for strike action

Region Employer Name

East Midlands

East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust

East Midlands

NHS Derby and Derbyshire ICB (Joined Up Care Derbyshire)

East Midlands

NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB

East Midlands

Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

East Midlands

Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

East Midlands

Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust

East Midlands

Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

East Midlands

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

East Midlands

Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

 

 

Eastern

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust

Eastern

Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Eastern

Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Eastern

Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Eastern

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Eastern

Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust

Eastern

Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

Eastern

Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust

Eastern

Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust

Eastern

West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

Eastern

NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB

Eastern

NHS Mid and South Essex ICB

Eastern

NHS Norfolk and Waveney ICB

Eastern

NHS Suffolk and North East Essex ICB

 

 

London

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust

London

Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust

London

Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust

London

Hounslow and Richmond Community Healthcare NHS Trust

London

St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

London

Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

London

Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust

London

Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust

London

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

London

NHS North Central London ICB

London

NHS South West London ICB

London

NHS Resolution

 

 

 

North West

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

North West

Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust

North West

Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Found Trust

North West

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

North West

The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Found Trust

North West

The Christie NHS Foundation Trust

North West

Wrightington Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust

North West

Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

North West

North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust

North West

Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

North West

Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

North West

Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

North West

Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust

North West

Midlands and Lancashire CSU

North West

Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Found Trust

North West

Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust

North West

Central Cheshire Integrated Care Partnership

North West

St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

North West

Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust

North West

The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust

North West

Health Education England

North West

NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB

North West

NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB

North West

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

 

 

Northern

North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust

Northern

University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust

Northern

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Northern

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust

Northern

Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust

Northern

The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Northern

South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Northern

North of England CSU (NECS)

 

 

South East

Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust

South East

East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust

South East

University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust

South East

South East Coast Ambulance Service

South East

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust

South East

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

South East

Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

South East

NHS Kent and Medway ICB

South East

NHS Surrey Heartlands ICB

South East

Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust

South East

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

South East

Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust

South East

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust

South East

South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

South East

Solent NHS Trust

South East

Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust

South East

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust

 

 

South West

Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

South West

Devon Partnership NHS Trust

South West

South Western Ambulance Service NHS Found Trust

South West

Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust

South West

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

South West

North Bristol NHS Trust

South West

Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust

South West

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust

South West

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust

South West

Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

South West

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT)

South West

Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust

South West

Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

South West

Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust

South West

Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

South West

Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust

South West

University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust

South West

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust

South West

Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust

South West

Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust

South West

NHS Bath, North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire ICB (BSW Together)

South West

NHS Devon ICB (One Devon)

South West

NHS Dorset ICB (Our Dorset)

South West

NHS Gloucestershire ICB (One Gloucestershire)

 

 

West Midlands

Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

West Midlands

Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust

West Midlands

The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

West Midlands

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

West Midlands

Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust

West Midlands

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

West Midlands

Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust

West Midlands

Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

West Midlands

Dudley Integrated Health and Care NHS Trust

West Midlands

NHS Birmingham and Solihull ICB (BSol ICB)

West Midlands

NHS Black Country ICB

 

 

Yorkshire & The Humber

Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust

Yorkshire & The Humber

Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Yorkshire & The Humber

York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Yorkshire & The Humber

Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust

Yorkshire & The Humber

Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Yorkshire & The Humber

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust

Yorkshire & The Humber

The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

Yorkshire & The Humber

NHS England

Yorkshire & The Humber

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Yorkshire & The Humber

Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust

Yorkshire & The Humber

NHS West Yorkshire ICB