Intensive Care Society's response to nurses voting 'NO' to pay deal
Following the announcement that the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) members have rejected the England NHS pay offer and have planned further industrial action which will now include intensive care from 30 April to 2 May, we implore the government to meet, as a matter of urgency, with RCN representatives.
The fact that nurses have rejected this offer and on the same day of ongoing industrial action by junior doctors in England speaks volumes about the unrest relating to terms and conditions and safe staffing levels amongst our health care professionals.
The safety of our patients, the need to avoid delays in elective care, the commitment we all demand for the best care and experiences across the NHS requires sufficient staff with the acquired expertise. It takes many years to achieve the required levels of knowledge and essential experiences. We need to enable the core conditions for health care professionals to thrive at work, and for them to want to stay, and to encourage new generations of staff to want to train and work in the NHS.
An Intensive Care Unit is no more than beds with machines that beep without the highly skilled professionals to deliver the expert and compassionate care for each of us and our loved ones.
As the multi-professional organisation representing UK Intensive Care, we encourage immediate action and the discussions to restart with the RCN and to begin in earnest with the BMA. A satisfactory conclusion for all cannot be achieved without direct communication and our patients and staff deserve better.
