Nurses strike: Which London NHS Trusts and hospitals are striking in March?
Nurses were set to strike in March in a dispute over pay, following two-day strikes in both January and February - but the strike action has now been paused.
Fifty-five NHS trusts had nurses taking industrial action on January 18 and 19, including several hospitals in London.
Staff at 73 NHS trusts in England also walked out on February 6 and 7 after a deal was not agreed.
But now Health Secretary Stephen Barclay will meet Royal College of Nursing bosses for pay talks later, after the union suspended next week’s planned strike.
In a joint statement the two sides said they would begin “intensive talks” on “pay, terms and conditions” and “reforms to enhance productivity”.
RCN general secretary Pat Cullen said: “We will put our plans on the table, they can put their plans on the table - but I’m confident that we will come out with a fair pay settlement for our nursing staff.”
The RCN had originally asked for a pay rise of 5% above inflation, and said it would be willing to meet the government half-way.
Find out below which NHS Trusts in London were set to strike in March.
London NHS Trusts which were meant to strike on March 1, 2, and 3
Next week’s planned walkout in England, from 1 to 3 March, was set to be the biggest strike of this winter’s pay dispute, with half of frontline services affected.
The action would have included nursing staff from intensive care units, cancer care and other services that were previously exempted.
Nursing Times says the following trusts would be striking:
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust
Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust
Hounslow and Richmond Community Healthcare NHS Trust
St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
NHS North Central London ICB
NHS South West London ICB
Nurses Strike | 18-19th January 2023
What are officials saying about the strikes?
RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Pat Cullen said in a letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in February: “Your government looks increasingly isolated in refusing to reopen discussions about the 2022-23 NHS pay award. As a result, the strike action for England remains - with tens of thousands of nurses losing wages to ensure you hear their voice. It must not be in vain.
“It will be the biggest day of industrial action in the 75-year history of the NHS. Nursing staff find that a sobering realisation of how far they have been pushed to protect patient care and secure some respect for the nursing profession.
“I’m urging you to reset your government in the eyes of the public and demonstrate it is on the side of the hardworking, decent taxpayer. There could be no simpler way to demonstrate this commitment than bringing the nurse strike to a swift close.”
Health Secretary Steve Barclay wrote in the Independent on January 18: “The nurses’ strike on Wednesday and the further walkouts for next month announced by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) on Monday will pile on further pressure at this challenging time.
“Around 30,000 procedures or outpatient appointments were postponed as a result of nurse strikes on December 15 and 20, so I am disappointed that patients face disruption again. “