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Isle Of Wight Won't Be Affected By Nurse Strikes, NHS Trust Says

The Isle of Wight NHS Trust has said it does not expect to be affected by impending strikes in the nursing sector.

As Isle of Wight Radio reported yesterday (Wednesday), hundreds of thousands of nurses in the UK have voted to hold a strike.

It's the first in union, the Royal College of Nursing's (RCN's) 106-year history.

It is likely to see many of the biggest hospitals in England affected. But it's been confirmed St Mary's Hospital won't be affected by the outcome of the ballot.

Some hospitals "narrowly missed" the legal turnout thresholds required for action.

Neighbouring trusts including Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust and Solent NHS Trust are involved, however.

Reacting to news that Island nurses won't strike, Isle of Wight MP Bob Seely said:

“I am very grateful that nurses on the Isle of Wight chose to continue to care for patients instead of opting for strike action.

“Our nurses will be aware that the pay settlement did not come from Government, but from the recommendations of an independent pay review body set up to find a fair settlement. Nurses will benefit from a pay rise of at least £1,400 this year backdated to April 2022. This is on top of the 3% pay rise they received last year, despite a wider public sector pay pause. NHS funding has steadily increased and the UK Government is now spending over £150 billion.

“Nurses were one of the very few groups to receive a pay rise last year, thanks to their hard work and dedication during the Covid pandemic. It is important that they are paid fairly.

“Nursing is a vocation and I know our nurses on the Island are committed to looking after patients. We are all grateful for the wonderful work they do caring for our community.

“We now have significant new investment in the Island’s healthcare, the new building work at St Mary’s is due to start very soon and the diagnostic centre will improve healthcare as well as provide new facilities for nurses and other NHS staff to work in.”

Yesterday RCN general secretary and CEO, Pat Cullen, said:

"Anger has become action - our members are saying enough is enough.

"The voice of nursing in the UK is strong and I will make sure it is heard. Our members will no longer tolerate a financial knife edge at home and a raw deal at work.

"Ministers must look in the mirror and ask how long they will put nursing staff through this.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Steve Barclay, said:

"We are all hugely grateful for the hard work and dedication of NHS staff, including nurses, and deeply regret that some union members have voted for industrial action.

"These are challenging times, which is why we accepted the recommendations of the independent NHS Pay Review Body in full and have given over one million NHS workers a pay rise of at least £1,400 this year.

"This is on top of a 3% pay increase last year when public sector pay was frozen and wider government support with the cost of living.

"Our priority is keeping patients safe during any strikes. The NHS has tried and tested plans in place to minimise disruption and ensure emergency services continue to operate."

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