Nursing staff in half of England’s hospitals, mental health, and community services have taken strike action, causing major disruptions to NHS services. The walkout began and will continue until midnight on Monday, with NHS officials warning that services will be severely affected.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has called this unprecedented strike action, marking the first time its members have walked out of all areas, including intensive care. The RCN has agreed to some safety-critical mitigations during the strike period, allowing certain members and regional transport teams to work in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), pediatric intensive care units (PICUs), and adult ITU and Critical Care Units. This will provide direct patient care to preserve life-and-limb only, with a ratio of approximately 1:2, depending on patient acuity.
