As nurses prepare to go on strike in the run-up to Christmas, details of which services will be exempt will soon be announced, the union has said.
On Friday, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) announced its members will stage their first national strike on December 15 and 20 over a pay dispute. Services deemed "life-preserving" and "emergency-type care" will continue to operate on the strike days, a nursing chief said.
RCN general secretary Pat Cullen has urged Health Secretary Steve Barclay to "stop the spin and start to speak" with nurses to avoid a walkout, accusing him of having "chosen strikes over speaking to me". Mr Barclay added that the union's demands of a 19.2 per cent pay rise are "not affordable".
Read more: Man phones POLICE as drivers blast their horns during 'four hour wait' to leave city centre car park
However, Ms Cullen said she doesn't recognise the Health Secretary's figures and said he made it clear he wished to discuss "non-monetary issues" in talks. Both parties insisted on Friday that they are still open to talks.
She added that there will be "very detailed and worked-through plans" set out soon regarding which services will be staffed. A committee which includes clinical experts will "guide and direct all decisions that will be made", she said.
Speaking to BBC Radio Four's Today programme, Ms Cullen continued: "What we will continue to provide is life-preserving services. And those essentially fall into emergency-type care. But we will have very, very detailed and worked-through plans that every single nurse that is taking strike action will be expected to adhere to.”
She also noted that some cancer services will be exempt, but declined to provide details when asked about scans and checks. Asked if nurses would be on cancer wards on strike days, she said: “Services such as oncology will be derogated or exempt from any strike action.
"We have a number of services that we are working through at the minute that will be derogated on the day of strike, and we will release that list soon to employers.” When ressed on scans or cancer checks such as colonoscopies, she said: “All of the detail is being worked through.
"Those services that are not considered life-preserving or emergency services will not be derogated. Those that do fall into those particular descriptions will be derogated.”
RCN England director Patricia Marquis apologised to patients for the disruption but said it is necessary for things to improve. She told Sky News: “I think we have to face the facts that a day or two of strike action really is not the issue. The issue is years and years of underfunding.”
Tweeting as the strike dates were announced on Friday, Mr Barclay said: “Our priority is keeping patients safe. The NHS has tried and tested plans in place to minimise disruption and ensure emergency services continue to operate but inevitably strike action will have an impact on services.
“My door remains open to @theRCN if they want to discuss ways we can improve nurses’ working lives.”
Read next:
- Almost 1,000 people in Greater Manchester face Christmas Day being 'trapped' in hospital away from their families - and they don't need to be there
- People 'risking their lives' to get pictures of spectacular Christmas lights at Manchester restaurant
- "A child could be next": Labrador owner says 'dangerously out of control' dog mauled his pet
- England's WAGs through the years... from 1966 World Cup victory to Victoria Beckham
- Floral tributes for tragic boy, 17, left at scene as murder probe continues
