Hospital theatre nurses on strike

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Operating theatre nurses at Barnsley hospital are staging a 24-hour strike over changes to their jobs.

Managers want to reduce cover at night and plan to downgrade some theatre staff as they seek to cut the annual wages bill by £1.5m.

They said the nursing structure was "top-heavy" but the GMB union described the plans as "an insult" to staff.

Hopes of a deal evaporated at the weekend as talks between managers and GMB union officials stalled.

Joan Keane, the regional organiser of the GMB union for health workers, said: "GMB members employed at Barnsley Hospital are at the point where they can't take any more and recently, over the past couple of years, we've had new pay and conditions imposed.

"These people are now effectively being asked to take a pay cut, but do the same job."

Contingency plans

Ms Keane said 85% of the theatre staff, including nurses and operating department practitioners, had voted to take action.

Another 70 GMB members in support roles voted to impose a work-to-rule but stopped short of endorsing strike action.

Barnsley Hospital said the proposed changes to its staff structure applied across the hospital and the majority of employees had accepted them.

A spokesman said Monday's industrial action involved a small number of staff and the hospital was confident contingency plans would mean it could carry out business as usual.