British nurses and midwives launch unprecedented strikes

It is the first strike action in the Royal College of Nursing’s 106-year history.

On 15 December, around 100,000 nurses and midwives across England, Northern Ireland and Wales went on strike for 12 hours. Another strike in England and Wales took place on 20 December. The strikes were repeated on 18–19 January.

Nurses and midwives are demanding a pay rise of five per cent above inflation, which is running at 14 per cent. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) says that their pay fell by six per cent in real terms over the last decade and lags behind nurses and midwives in other developed countries.

The strikes are about more than money, say experts.

“Pay is the lightning rod; it’s attracting all the energy,” Jim Buchan of the Health Foundation told The Economist.

But it “cannot be disentangled” from working conditions, he said.

During COVID an enormous number of nurses left the NHS. Figures published by the NHS in September revealed a shortage of 47,496 nurses, meaning nearly 12 per cent of jobs are unfilled. Those who remain must work harder, as they tackle a waiting list that has ballooned from 4.6 million to 7.2 million in early 2020.

Pat Cullen, general secretary of the RCN, said the strike was “a difficult decision taken by hundreds of thousands in a bid to be heard, recognised and valued”.

In a recent RCN survey, only 18 per cent of nurses said they had enough time to provide the quality of care they would like to.

A survey by pollster YouGov found that almost two-thirds of Britons supported the nurses’ strikes. n

Key facts that explain the British nursing strike

• Typical salaries for nurses have fallen by 5.9 per cent in real terms compared to 2010/11 levels

• Depending on how inflation changes, the Nuffield Trust – a health research institute –predicts that nurses’ realterms pay this year will fall to around 10 per cent below levels in 2010/11

• The average nurse in England earned around £35,989 (A$63,045) a year prior to the latest pay settlement

• There are an estimated average of 17,000 nursing posts unfilled on any given day in the NHS

• 1 in 9 nurses left active service over the course of a year between 2021 and 2022 in England.

Professional Education

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Planning is well underway for our 2023 education with many sessions launched to the end of June 2023.

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Medications: How we do it better

Wednesday 15 February, 9am to 4pm, 6 CPD Hours

Student to New Graduate (face-to-face and online)

Friday 24 February, 9am to 4pm, 6 CPD Hours

Law, Ethics and Professional Standards in nursing and midwifery

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Friday 19 May, 9am to 4pm, 6 CPD Hours

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The Deteriorating Patient

Monday 13 March, 9am to 4pm, 6 CPD Hours

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Clinical Communication and Documentation

Wednesday 26 April, 9am to 4pm, 6 CPD Hours

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Diabetes in Aged Care

Tuesday 16 May, 9am to 3pm, 5 CPD Hours

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NSWNMA Professional Roadshow

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The Deteriorating Patient

Thursday 18 May, 9am to 4pm, 6 CPD Hours

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Medications: How we do it better

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