Hospitals braced for pay strike by NHS workers

Hospitals face disruption when nurses, midwives, technicians, occupational therapists and radiographers take four hours of action.

The strike will affect Pinderfields, Pontefract and Dewsbury hospitals as unions and the government remain in dispute over a pay freeze for NHS workers.

The government refused to give all health service staff a one per cent wage rise, despite it being recommended by an independent pay review.

Neil Clark, director of operations at Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “We have cancelled a number of non-urgent appointments and procedures, but we have tried to keep these to a minimum.

“In affected areas, we have contacted patients to let them know.

“If you have an appointment scheduled for Monday, November 24, and have not heard from us, please assume your appointment is going ahead as normal.”

Members of Unison, the Royal College of Midwives, Allied Trades and Technicians, the British Association of Occupational Therapists, GMB, Unite, Managers in Partnership and the British Dietetic Association plan to strike from 7am-11am.

Members of the Society of Radiographers will be on strike from 8am-12pm.

For the rest of the week NHS workers will take action short of a strike, which includes refusing to work unpaid overtime.

The walkout follows a four-hour strike on October 13 which was the first in the NHS over pay for more than 30 years.