NURSES at Colchester Hospital are set to go on strike in a show of solidarity with fellow NHS employees over pay, staff shortages and patient safety.
Frontline workers at the Turner Road health facility, run by the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, will down tools on January 18 and 19.
Alongside thousands of other Royal College of Nursing members across the country, they are expected to form picket lines in protest of staff shortages and low wages.
The nurses, both in Colchester and beyond, are also making a stand over concerns for patient safety, which they believe has worsened due to the lack of NHS employees.
Teresa Budrey, Eastern regional director for the Royal College of Nursing, said deciding to strike for a second time since December was not easy, but essential.
She said: “We had all hoped the Government would have taken the opportunity to open negotiations on pay so this next round of strike action did not have to happen.
“But we are now in a position where members at some of our biggest NHS employers in the Eastern region will be striking on January 18 and 19.
“We do not take this action lightly but it is necessary we take this stand to combat the staff shortages and low pay that make patient care unsafe.
“As happened in December, our strike committees will work with employers to ensure life preserving care is maintained on strike days.
“Now we know there will once again be disruption for patients due to cancelled procedures and appointments.
“However, every day patients are experiencing delays and unsafe care due to staff shortages, so we take this action now to protect patients and the NHS for the future.”
The news of nurses in Colchester joining the picket line, having not taken part in the initial round of strikes, comes after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged to fix the NHS.
Nick Hulme is chief executive of East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Colchester Hosptial.
He said: “We value all our staff and understand the importance of good pay and conditions for individuals and their families, as well as for wider NHS staff retention and recruitment.
“We have been preparing for these strikes since the results of the RCN ballot were announced. Now these dates are confirmed, our planning will continue in earnest around what the impact for ESNEFT and our patients will be.
"We are planning for all eventualities to keep our patients safe – that is our top priority and we continue to encourage all patients to come for their appointments unless they hear otherwise.
“While pay is a matter for Government and the trade unions, we want to see a resolution as soon as possible to make sure we can continue to focus on delivering high quality and compassionate patient care to anyone in our communities who needs it.”
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