Biggest NHS strike sees 40k nurses and 999 staff walk out – full list revealed

BRITAIN faces the largest ever strike by healthcare workers in history as nurses and ambulance workers walk out today.

People will face a “postcode lottery” of care across the country with tens of thousands of staff from the two unions returning to picket lines following a row over pay.

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Brits have also been warned to only call 999 in "life-threatening" circumstances.

It comes five days after the country was brought to a halt by industrial action disrupting trains, schools and the civil service.

The RCN is calling for a 19 per cent pay rise, although it has indicated it may meet the government "halfway".

Unions representing ambulance workers also want above-inflation pay rises, but have not specified a figure.

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The Government insists the demands are unaffordable, and that pay rises are decided by independent pay review bodies.

Speaking during a visit to Kingston Hospital, south-west London, Health Secretary Steve Barclay said  awarding a pay rise could make inflation worse.

"Just a few days ago, the Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey said that wages are a factor in the bank’s approach in terms of inflation and interest rates.

“We want to work constructively with the trade unions in terms of this evidence, and that’s why we’ve been discussing these issues with them," he added.

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This next wave of strikes involving around 30,000 nurses and 11,500 ambulance staff will result in "huge disruptions" to the health service, NHS, leaders have warned.

Saffron Cordery, deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents NHS trusts, told : “I think it’s going to be a hugely disrupted day across the NHS, it’s going to be incredibly challenging."

Up to 600 Armed Forces personnel were last night ready to step in to ease the chaos as talks over pay and conditions were gridlocked.

Further NHS strikes are set to unfold over the next few days, with nurses returning to the picket lines tomorrow alongside midwives (February 7), physiotherapists on Wednesday (February 9) and 999 workers on Friday (February 10).

"We’re planning for an incredibly disrupted week," Saffron said.

“What we previously had with industrial action has been, for example community nursing staff being able to plug the gaps left when ambulance staff are out on strike, but obviously with nurses and ambulances out today, that’s going to be incredibly difficult," she explained.

Maria Caulfield, minister for mental health and women’s health strategy, said she sympathised with striking nurses but argued that “inflation-busting pay rises” could not be afforded.

The Conservative MP and nurse, speaking to , said: “I’m an RCN member myself, so I sit in both camps, if you like - I have a lot of sympathy.

“But we also have a responsibility to the taxpayer and we’ve followed an independent process with the pay review body that unions signed up to and were very happy with the settlement last year.

“And it is difficult for us now if we are to give a pay (rise) to nurses, we would have to look at teachers, ambulance drivers.

“We just can’t afford inflation-busting pay rises that the unions are currently demanding.”

But Sharon Graham, of the Unite union, said the Government should open negotiations on pay or face a “constant cycle” of walkouts.

Speaking at a picket in Wales, Sharon said: “There isn’t going to be any other way to end this dispute until they come to the table and talk about pay.

“[The Government] said on many occasions that they’re in constructive talks; first of all, I don’t know what those constructive talks are – they are certainly not on pay.

“And, secondly, I can’t put constructive talks on a ballot paper.

"What we need is the talks to happen with Rishi Sunak or Stephen Barclay on pay, we can get an offer and then we can put that off to the members.

“That’s what needs to happen. Until that happens, we are in this constant cycle of having strike action, which obviously nobody wants.

“Our members do not want to be on strike. They want to be at work serving the country.”

RCN general secretary Pat Cullen said: “Everyone can see the resilience of our nursing staff, these brilliant people that are standing on the picket lines today, losing another day’s pay. They are saying patients have had enough, they have had enough."

Meanwhile, Dr Adrian Boyle, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine said: “While strikes may disrupt emergency care and pose a risk for patient safety, we know that patient safety has long been at risk as a result of years of under-resourcing, under-funding, lack of staff, lack of beds and inadequate and insufficient community and social care."

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The British Medical Association (BMA) opened a strike ballot for junior doctors on January 9, which runs until February 20.

The BMA says staff will walk out for 72 hours in March if the ballot is successful.