NON-URGENT operations and appointments due to take place at Colchester Hospital may now be rescheduled after nurses committed to a two-day strike.

Frontline workers at the Turner Road health facility, run by the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, have voted to strike 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 by the lack of NHS employees

As a result of the strikes, hospital bosses have now confirmed some patients may be informed their non-urgent operations and appointments will need to be moved.

Gazette:

Nick Hulme, chief executive of ESNEFT, 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 and 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 patients safe – that is our top priority. We encourage all patients to come for their appointments unless they hear otherwise.

“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.”

READ MORE: Colchester Hospital nurses to strike for two days in row over pay and patient safety

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.

“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.”