Nurses have warned they will strike more often and for longer next year if their pay rise demands are not met, hospital bosses have warned.
Danny Mortimer, the NHS Employers chief executive, wrote to trusts on Wednesday after discussing the dispute with the Royal College of Nursing.
“Unless the government indicates a willingness to negotiate on pay-related matters, further strike dates will be announced by the RCN for January 2023 and beyond. It is likely that these strikes will be for a longer time period on each occasion and will cover a greater number of organisations [NHS trusts] in England,” he said as reported by the Guardian.
It comes as 70,000 appointments have been lost and surgeries have been postponed for up to six weeks as NHS workers walked out today.
Meanwhile, three Tory MPs have said the government should rethink its pay offer to end the strikes.
Former Tory minister Sir Jake Berry said the government’s offer is “too low” and said both sides need to meet “a point of agreement straight away”.
