Nurses on strike: Britain's patients die in NHS care
Thousands of British nurses went on strike over a wage dispute on Wednesday, as nurses say people are dying unnecessarily while in the care of the UK's National Health Service.
British news agency BA Media reported that nurses from more than 55 NHS organizations in England are joining the strike today and Thursday, following two days of strike action in December.
The Royal College of Nursing has announced that two more larger strikes will take place next month, while the GMP union is expected to announce another strike for ambulance workers on Wednesday.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay warned the strike would harm patients.
However, Pat Cullen, president of the Nursing Union, said, "People are not dying because nurses are striking...Nurses are striking because people are dying."
She said on Good Morning Britain that the NHS was not currently offering a minimum acceptable level of employment, which "contradicts" new anti-strike laws calling for a minimum service cover on strike days.
"Minimum staffing levels are not available to our patients or nurses any day of the week," she said.
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