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| NI health strike: Thousands of nurses go on strike | NI health strike: Thousands of nurses go on strike |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| About 15,500 nurses in Northern Ireland have begun strike action in a dispute over pay and patient safety. | About 15,500 nurses in Northern Ireland have begun strike action in a dispute over pay and patient safety. |
| The Royal College of Nursing represents about 9,000 nurses who walked out at 08:00 GMT - the first time the union has taken strike action in its 103-year history. | The Royal College of Nursing represents about 9,000 nurses who walked out at 08:00 GMT - the first time the union has taken strike action in its 103-year history. |
| About 6,500 other nurses, who are members of Unison, walked out earlier. | About 6,500 other nurses, who are members of Unison, walked out earlier. |
| It follows weeks of industrial action by other healthcare workers over the same issues. | It follows weeks of industrial action by other healthcare workers over the same issues. |
| The RCN strike is set to last for 12 hours while many Unison health staff members, including nurses and paramedics, are staging a 24-hour strike. | The RCN strike is set to last for 12 hours while many Unison health staff members, including nurses and paramedics, are staging a 24-hour strike. |
| Speaking at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, Royal College of Nursing (RCN) member Nuala Murray told BBC News NI: "This was incredibly difficult. I've been nursing for 37 years. | Speaking at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, Royal College of Nursing (RCN) member Nuala Murray told BBC News NI: "This was incredibly difficult. I've been nursing for 37 years. |
| "This is so unprecedented for us to have to strike but nurses are so fed up, they've just had enough. | "This is so unprecedented for us to have to strike but nurses are so fed up, they've just had enough. |
| "Their patients aren't safe and they need to do something." | |
| Many appointments and treatments have been cancelled because of the strike, and a number of minor injury units are closed. | Many appointments and treatments have been cancelled because of the strike, and a number of minor injury units are closed. |
| The Health and Social Care Board said all emergency departments will remain open as normal, but will be under significant pressure | The Health and Social Care Board said all emergency departments will remain open as normal, but will be under significant pressure |
| 'Undervalued' | 'Undervalued' |
| Mairead Meenan, a staff nurse at Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry, said the "fair pay" issue had brought her to the picket line. | Mairead Meenan, a staff nurse at Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry, said the "fair pay" issue had brought her to the picket line. |
| "Everybody wants equal pay and equal rights," she said, adding that nurses in Northern Ireland felt "undervalued" compared to their counterparts doing the same jobs in Great Britain. | "Everybody wants equal pay and equal rights," she said, adding that nurses in Northern Ireland felt "undervalued" compared to their counterparts doing the same jobs in Great Britain. |
| She called on politicians to "start talking" and sort the dispute out. | She called on politicians to "start talking" and sort the dispute out. |
| "You get paid loads and loads of money and you would not last 10 minutes in our job," said Ms Meenan. | |
| How bad is Northern Ireland's health crisis? | |
| On so many measures, Northern Ireland lags behind the other UK nations when it comes to NHS performance. | |
| Not only does it has the highest vacancy rates, it also has the worst record in terms of meeting waiting time targets for cancer, A&E and routine operations. | |
| The best indication of this is the figures for the proportion of patients seen in four hours in A&E. | |
| England has just seen its performance sink to a record low of just over 81%. In Northern Ireland it is currently below 66%. | |
| Why? The suspension of a devolved government has certainly not helped - delaying everything from new policy to pay rises. | |
| But modernisation of health care in Northern Ireland was already behind schedule before that happened. | |
| Services are spread too thinly across too many sites, so there is a lot of catching up to do - and the more it is delayed the longer it will take. | |
| Health workers say they want to be paid the same as their counterparts in England, Scotland and Wales. | Health workers say they want to be paid the same as their counterparts in England, Scotland and Wales. |
| Unions agreed a 6.5% three-year pay rise for NHS staff - excluding doctors - last year, but it was not implemented in Northern Ireland because parity with the rest of the UK was broken by the devolved government in 2014. | Unions agreed a 6.5% three-year pay rise for NHS staff - excluding doctors - last year, but it was not implemented in Northern Ireland because parity with the rest of the UK was broken by the devolved government in 2014. |
| The issue has not been looked at again because Northern Ireland has not had a devolved government since 2017. | The issue has not been looked at again because Northern Ireland has not had a devolved government since 2017. |
| Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the solution to the strike was to restore devolved government. | Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the solution to the strike was to restore devolved government. |
| He said: "I want to see it up and running so they can get on and run their health service, the way that we do." | He said: "I want to see it up and running so they can get on and run their health service, the way that we do." |
| 2,800 unfilled nursing posts | 2,800 unfilled nursing posts |
| The RCN argues the real value of nurses' pay here has fallen by 15% over the past eight years. | The RCN argues the real value of nurses' pay here has fallen by 15% over the past eight years. |
| There are just under 2,800 unfilled nursing posts within the health service in Northern Ireland. | There are just under 2,800 unfilled nursing posts within the health service in Northern Ireland. |
| The RCN estimates that a similar level of unfilled posts exists within nursing homes. | The RCN estimates that a similar level of unfilled posts exists within nursing homes. |
| The nursing vacancy rate in Northern Ireland is 13%, compared with about 11% in England and 6% in Scotland. | The nursing vacancy rate in Northern Ireland is 13%, compared with about 11% in England and 6% in Scotland. |
| This means that for every eight nurses who should be working in Northern Ireland, one is missing. | This means that for every eight nurses who should be working in Northern Ireland, one is missing. |
| Analysis: Services pushed to the limit | |
| By Marie-Louise Connolly, BBC News NI Health Correspondent | |
| These are unprecedented times. For the first time in UK history close to 20,000 health and social care works are on picket lines, including about 15,500 nurses. | |
| With more than 300,000 people in Northern Ireland waiting for an appointment, today's strike is going to push all services over the limit. | |
| As healthcare workers protest and wave flags calling for pay parity and safer staffing levels, what they are also shouting about is a desire to get devolved government back up and running. | |
| While there is a skeleton staff today, and while many appointments have been cancelled, a shortage of staff has been an issue for many years. | |
| Worst waiting lists | Worst waiting lists |
| Northern Ireland currently has the worst hospital waiting lists in the UK and last month hospital waiting times reached an all-time high according to figures from the Department of Health. | Northern Ireland currently has the worst hospital waiting lists in the UK and last month hospital waiting times reached an all-time high according to figures from the Department of Health. |
| One in every six people in Northern Ireland is currently waiting for a first appointment with a consultant and more than 100,000 of them have been waiting for more than a year. | One in every six people in Northern Ireland is currently waiting for a first appointment with a consultant and more than 100,000 of them have been waiting for more than a year. |
| On average, there is a four-year wait for a knee or hip operation. | On average, there is a four-year wait for a knee or hip operation. |
| In emergency departments, no patient should wait more than 12 hours for treatment, but in September 2019 almost 3,500 patients waited longer. | In emergency departments, no patient should wait more than 12 hours for treatment, but in September 2019 almost 3,500 patients waited longer. |
| Last-ditch bid | Last-ditch bid |
| On Tuesday night leaders of the five main political parties in Northern Ireland met the head of the NI Civil Service, David Sterling, and health permanent secretary Richard Pengelly in a bid to avert the strike action. | On Tuesday night leaders of the five main political parties in Northern Ireland met the head of the NI Civil Service, David Sterling, and health permanent secretary Richard Pengelly in a bid to avert the strike action. |
| Earlier they sent a joint letter to the Northern Ireland secretary which "provides cover" for him to intervene. in the absence of devolved government. | Earlier they sent a joint letter to the Northern Ireland secretary which "provides cover" for him to intervene. in the absence of devolved government. |
| The letter to Julian Smith signed by the five party leaders said there was "collective support for the restoration of pay parity". | The letter to Julian Smith signed by the five party leaders said there was "collective support for the restoration of pay parity". |
| Following their meeting with the Civil Service, the parties wanted to meet the Northern Ireland secretary, but the Northern Ireland Office said health remained a devolved matter. | Following their meeting with the Civil Service, the parties wanted to meet the Northern Ireland secretary, but the Northern Ireland Office said health remained a devolved matter. |
| Mr Sterling rejected the argument that he and his colleagues should restore pay parity on the grounds of public interest. | Mr Sterling rejected the argument that he and his colleagues should restore pay parity on the grounds of public interest. |
| He added that the decision is a choice which should be taken by ministers. | He added that the decision is a choice which should be taken by ministers. |
| 'Safe services' | 'Safe services' |
| Dr Tony Stevens, chief executive of the Northern Health Trust, told BBC News NI that while the health trusts will be delivering a "much reduced" service, they will be able to deliver services safely. | Dr Tony Stevens, chief executive of the Northern Health Trust, told BBC News NI that while the health trusts will be delivering a "much reduced" service, they will be able to deliver services safely. |
| BBC News NI'S health correspondent Marie-Louise Connolly said the crisis did not happen overnight and had been years in the making. | BBC News NI'S health correspondent Marie-Louise Connolly said the crisis did not happen overnight and had been years in the making. |
| She added that nurses say they have been putting up with these shortages for years and today a light is being shone on it. | She added that nurses say they have been putting up with these shortages for years and today a light is being shone on it. |
| Speaking from the picket line, community nurse Karen Bowes said the strike was a "very sad day" in her 25-year nursing career. | Speaking from the picket line, community nurse Karen Bowes said the strike was a "very sad day" in her 25-year nursing career. |
| "We didn't come to this decision lightly and nurses have a heavy heart undertaking these steps," the RCN member said. | "We didn't come to this decision lightly and nurses have a heavy heart undertaking these steps," the RCN member said. |
| "Our staffing levels are not safe - patients are not safe on a normal day," Ms Bowes added. | "Our staffing levels are not safe - patients are not safe on a normal day," Ms Bowes added. |
| She added that patients she had spoken in advance of the strike were "very supportive" of the actions and urged politicians to step in and sort out the dispute. | She added that patients she had spoken in advance of the strike were "very supportive" of the actions and urged politicians to step in and sort out the dispute. |
| A spokesperson for Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) said major challenges were expected across all health and social care services on Wednesday. | A spokesperson for Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) said major challenges were expected across all health and social care services on Wednesday. |
| It also advised that if patients or service users have not been contacted about their Trust then they should attend their appointment/ service as normal. | It also advised that if patients or service users have not been contacted about their Trust then they should attend their appointment/ service as normal. |
| All emergency departments remain open, but "significant pressure" was expected within the departments. | All emergency departments remain open, but "significant pressure" was expected within the departments. |
| "The priority will be on the treating emergency and life threatening conditions first. Patients with less urgent conditions may have to wait for lengthy periods," said the spokesperson. | "The priority will be on the treating emergency and life threatening conditions first. Patients with less urgent conditions may have to wait for lengthy periods," said the spokesperson. |
| The heads of all of Northern Ireland's health trusts have stated the current crisis in the service has been "years in the making". | The heads of all of Northern Ireland's health trusts have stated the current crisis in the service has been "years in the making". |
| Are you a patient who will be affected by the strike? Are you a nurse on strike? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | Are you a patient who will be affected by the strike? Are you a nurse on strike? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. |
| Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: |
| Or please use the form below: | Or please use the form below: |