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Support for nurses on picket line outside Horton General
20/12/2022
Oxford University Hospitals Trust say they have worked to minimise the impact on patients, visitors, and staff
Nurses formed a picket line outside the Horton General Hospital at 8am this morning as a second day of industrial action in the dispute over fair pay got underway.
Members of the Royal College of Nursing union voted in favour of the strike at the beginning of November.
By mid-morning a group of around 20 people were receiving good support from passing motorists on the Oxford Road. An elderly couple demonstrated their feelings by presenting the nurses with a box of chocolates.
Oxford University Hospitals Trust says that despite the industrial action they are continuing to offer a number of services today, although some may run at a reduced level. These include emergency and critical care, chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment for cancer patients, renal dialysis, inpatient care and urgent diagnostic procedures and other time critical services. Activity that does not require nursing support is also unaffected.
Some routine and non-urgent appointments and procedures have been rescheduled, but anyone who has an appointment today who hasn’t been contacted should still attend as planned.
Sara Randall, Chief Operating Officer at Oxford University Hospitals Trust, said: “We recognise and respect the right of our staff to take part in lawful industrial action, and have been working with our staff and union partners to minimise the impact on patients, visitors, and staff.
“We have tried-and-tested plans in place to deal with any changes to our services such as industrial action, and this is especially the case following our work during last week’s industrial action. As always, our priority is to continue to provide safe care for our patients, and anyone with a rescheduled appointment will be rebooked in for the soonest time possible.
“Thank you for your understanding.”
Banbury FM visited the picket line outside the Horton General Hospital but was told by a union steward that no-one was available to talk to us at that time.
The government has accepted recommendations made by the NHS Pay Review Body to give nurses below inflation pay rises of around 4%. The Royal College of Nursing has been calling for a pay rise of 19.2% – 5% above inflation.
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam