The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) professional body on Friday called for strikes across England, Wales and Northern Ireland on December 15 and 20. This means an escalation of the conflict between the medical workers and the regional governments.
“Nurses are tired of being abused, underpaid and working under precarious staffing – and tired of not being able to give patients the care they deserve,” said the society’s secretary-general, Pat Cullen. The union accuses politicians of not being ready for serious negotiations. Only Scotland could agree on the negotiations. In Britain, health is a matter for the four state governments.
The union is calling for a salary increase of five percent above inflation, which is currently over eleven percent. However, British Health Minister Steve Barclay argues that this cannot be financed given the tense situation. The Conservative politician referred to extra billions in aid that the government is making available to the NHS.
Unlike the health insurance companies in Germany, the NHS (National Health Service) health service in Britain is not funded by contributions, but must cover costs from a government-determined budget.
By the end of September, waiting times for routine procedures had reached a peak in England. The situation also deteriorated further in the emergency department, for which data have been available since October. Just under 70 percent of patients were treated within four hours of admission during the period considered – the worst value since the statistics began.
(SDA)