Nurses made history in December 2022 when, for the first time, thousands of staff took part in strikes demanding fair pay and improved patient safety. The Royal College of Nursing announced this week that further strike action has been planned in England and Wales in February as progress in negotiations with the government has not been made.
Planned strike days fall on Monday, February 6 and Tuesday, February 7, where RCN members in England and Wales will strike for 12 hours. Before then, strikes have been planned for today (Wednesday, January 18) and tomorrow.
Around 55 NHS trusts in England, which were not part of December's first wave of industrial action, will be affected this week. In the South West, nine NHS Trusts will be involved, before even more in the region take part in February's action.
Read more: Families 'in tears' after Bristol children's hospital heart surgery cancellations
But just what are nursing staff asking for, how much do they receive already and how will the strikes affect us here in Bristol? We've put together a guide of all you need to know...
Why are nurses striking?
Nursing staff are striking to demand fair pay and an improvement to patient safety. RCN general secretary and chief executive, Pat Cullen, said: "It is with a heavy heart that nursing staff are striking this week and again in three weeks. Rather than negotiate, Rishi Sunak has chosen strike action again. We are doing this in a desperate bid to get him and ministers to rescue the NHS.
"The only credible solution is to address the tens of thousands of unfilled jobs – patient care is suffering like never before. My olive branch to government – asking them to meet me halfway and begin negotiations – is still there. They should grab it.”
According to the RCN: "Researchers at London Economics, commissioned by the RCN, looked at the pay awards that NHS Agenda for Change nursing staff have been given in the UK since 2010. They found that in real terms, the salary of an experienced nurse has fallen by 20% in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and 16% in Scotland.
"They also found that the Exchequer would recoup 81% of the initial outlay in terms of higher tax receipts and savings on future recruitment and retention costs. The report can be found here."
How much do nurses in Bristol get paid?
The average salary for an NHS nurse, according to the Royal College of Nursing, was estimated in 2021 to be £33,384. The pay rise introduced across the NHS in 2022 took that average closer to around £35,000.
Taking a look at current vacancies at the NHS Trusts here in Bristol, including University Hospitals Bristol and Weston and North Bristol, Band salaries seem to be as follows:
- Band 7 (eg Major Trauma Nurse Practitioner) - between £41,659 - £47,672 per annum (pro rata for part time at 30 hours per week)
- Band 6 (eg Sister/Charge Nurse specialising in trauma and orthopaedics at North Bristol NHS Trust) - between £33,706 - £40,588 per annum
- Band 5 (eg Registered Scrub Nurse, Registered Nurse specialising in frailty rotation, or the same role specialising in medicine/emergency medicine) - between £27,055 - £32,934 per annum
- Band 4 (eg Nurse Associate) - between £23,949 - £26,282 pro rata
- Band 3 (eg Senior Healthcare Support Worker) - between £21,730 - £23,177 per annum/pro rata
- Band 2 (eg Experienced Healthcare Support Workers) - between £20,270 - £21,318 per annum/pro rata
South West NHS branches involved in January's strikes
According to the Royal College of Nursing, the following NHS Trusts/branches will be involved in strikes this week (January 18 and 19):
- Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust
- Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
- Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust
- NHS Dorset ICB (Our Dorset)
- University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust
- Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust
- Somerset NHS Foundation Trust
South West NHS branches involved in February's strikes
According to the Royal College of Nursing, the following NHS Trusts/branches will be involved in strikes on February 6 and 7
- Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
- University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust
- Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust
- University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust
- Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
- Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust
- North Bristol NHS Trust
- Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
- Somerset NHS Foundation Trust
- South Western Ambulance Service NHS Found Trust
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