Nurses on strike: Britain's patients die under NHS care

Strikers outside University College Hospital, London.

Father

Thousands of nurses in England went on strike over a wage dispute yesterday, 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 tomorrow, following two days of strike action in December.

The Royal College of Nursing announced that two more major strikes will take place next month, while the GMP union is expected to announce another strike for ambulance workers yesterday afternoon.

Health Secretary Steve Barclay warned the strike would harm patients.

However, Pat Cullen, president of the nursing union, said: “People are not dying because nursing staff are on strike.

Nursing staff 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.

"The minimum staffing levels are not available to our patients or nurses any day of the week," she said.

Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news