Many nurses support the withdrawal of all but essential life-saving care.
Nursing staff believe all-out strike action may be the only way to resolve the current stalemate between the government and health unions.
A NursingNotes survey of 3,414 frontline nurses found that the vast majority (71%) support ramping up strike action to withdraw all care except essential life-saving services, such as intensive care units and emergency departments.
Around a quarter (24%) of respondents instead said they believed long-term work-to-rule agreements would be the better option.
It comes after the government has refused to budge calls to improve the pay and working conditions of nursing staff across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In stark contrast, the Scottish Government is currently in talks with unions on an improved pay deal.
Sheer arrogance.
One nurse from Liverpool commented that she believed an all-out strike was “inevitable” due to the “sheer arrogance” of the government after they suggested nursing staff needed to “justify” the need for a pay rise.
Numerous other nurses branded the current strike “ineffective” after many hospitals saw “the best staffing for years” on strike days due to hospitals actioning minimum staffing levels through strike derogation.
The majority all agreed that shorter, more substantial strike action would have a less significant effect on patients than prolonged partial strikes.
The British Medical Association (BMA) echoes the calls warning that if junior doctors vote to strike, the union intends to enact “a 72-hour full walkout”.
Many years of being let down.
Nursing staff have already undertaken four days of partial strike action to no avail. Speaking after this, Royal College of Nursing (RCN) General Secretary and Chief Executive Pat Cullen, said: “Rather than grabbing our olive branch, Steve Barclay is desperately looking for new ways not to negotiate with nurses.
“Hundreds of impassioned nurses told me in person today that this strike is about discovering their voice after many years of being let down. The patients who joined picket lines see this as a battle for the soul of the NHS as much as it’s about pay rises.
Ms Cullen concluded, “With just as many nursing staff ready to head into the cold again tomorrow morning, the Prime Minister must ask himself why and understand that only he can set the NHS on a better path.”
The RCN has announced two further partial strike dates in February but has been silent on plans to ramp up the pressure on the government.
Massive pay rises within hours.
Nurses United UK claims that British nurses need to compare themselves with those around the world.
Lead organiser Anthony Johnson explained, “Ambulances are queuing outside of A&Es and the nurses we have are queueing outside foodbank.This Government is happy with that. That is a part of their plan to privatise and run down our NHS. Nothing will change if we drag out this campaign with strike days that are better staffed than normal ones.
“In other countries, nurses take all-out strike action and win massive pay rises within hours. It’s good for nurses and our patients because they get less strike days and more investment in their services.
Mr Johnson concludes, “As an evidenced-based profession nurses we should use strategies that work.
