Tag: NHS crisis

Nurses: Strikes on hold as new talks to open with Scottish government

Nursing trade union Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Scotland has paused a formal announcement of strike action in response to further talks with the Scottish government. 

The decision follows a meeting with the First Minister and RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Pat Cullen today and talks this week between Scottish government, the RCN and the other trade unions currently in dispute regarding NHS pay (the GMB and Royal College of Midwives) to consider a roadmap to resolving the dispute. The Scottish government was fully aware that an announcement on RCN strike dates was imminent. 

The overwhelming mandate for strike action from RCN members in Scotland has been instrumental in securing these further negotiations. 

The proposal from Scottish government includes:

  • Negotiations for the 2023/24 NHS Agenda for Change pay offer to commence on an accelerated timetable starting next week with an aim of concluding by the end of February
  • A commitment to an additional payment equivalent to three calendar months value of the difference between the 2022/23 and the agreed 2023/24 pay rates
  • A firm commitment from Scottish government to a full review of the Agenda for Change framework in Scotland to ensure nursing is recognised and rewarded with a clear route for career progression 
  • A commitment to match any NHS pay increase in England for 2023/24 if it is higher than that agreed in Scotland
  • A commitment to invest any additional consequentials for NHS pay in England for 2022/23 in NHS pay in Scotland for 2022/23.

Scottish government would also support NHS employers to agree an extension of the RCN’s ballot mandate for strike action beyond early May if required.

Pat Cullen, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive said: “The Scottish government has shown a willingness to return to the negotiating table and to act to address the nursing workforce crisis. The pressure from you, our members, has been key to these negotiations moving forward. We need to see this process through in good faith. 
 
“Our members in Scotland are being listened to and the First Minister is in no doubt that we will take strike action if the proposals being outlined do not deliver a significant improvement by the end of February.” 
 
Colin Poolman, RCN Scotland Director told union members: “You have said enough is enough and that was before the current pressures trying to care for patients and keep services running. 
 
“We know it is frustrating that things are not moving more quickly but things are moving. While the Scottish government repeated their assertion that there is no more money for NHS pay in 2022/23, it was my strong mandate from you that led to the positive discussions this week and the commitment to keep negotiating.

“The Scottish government needs to do more and to take this opportunity to do the right thing, for nursing and for patients. These new pay negotiations must acknowledge the safety critical role of nursing.”

Staff ‘deeply worried’ about Urgent and Emergency Care crisis

Scotland records worst A&E performance once again

Responding to the latest Emergency Department performance figures for Scotland for September 2022 Dr John-Paul Loughrey, Vice President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine Scotland, said: “The situation as we enter winter is dire. Month-on-month, more and more patients face longer and longer waits – that we know are associated with patient harm and even death.

“Emergency Medicine staff and our paramedic colleagues are doing all they can to ensure the urgent and emergency care system continues to function and patients continue to receive care. We want to thank health care workers for their hard-work and diligence at this incredibly challenging time.

“We know that patients are deeply worried about the crisis. Emergency Medicine staff are worried too, distressed that they are unable to move patients through the hospital or take in patients from ambulances to the Emergency Departments.

“The difficulty in discharging patients from hospital when they are medically fit to be discharged is causing exit block in hospitals. The lack of social care is preventing these patients from being discharged.

“This is leading to a lack of flow throughout the hospital and leading to long waits in Emergency Departments, long waits in ambulances outside Emergency Departments, and long waits for an ambulance in the community.

“The Scottish Government must get a grip of this crisis and urgently boost the social care workforce, only then will we be able to discharge patients, free up beds and reduce these long waits throughout the system.”

The latest performance figures for September 2022 for Emergency Departments across Scotland show:

  • There were 113,522 attendances at major Emergency Departments
  • 65.6% of patients were seen within four-hours
    • This is the lowest four-hour performance since records began and is 8.2 percentage points lower than September 2021.
  • 13,506 patients waited more than eight-hours before being seen, admitted, discharged, or transferred
    • This is the highest number of eight-hour waits since records began
    • It means that more than one in 10 patients were waiting eight-hours or more in a major Emergency Department.
    • Double the number of patients have waited eight hours or more in 2022 so far (January – September) than in all of 2021.
  • 5,296 patients waited more than 12-hours before being seen, admitted, discharged, or transferred
    • This is the highest number of 12-hour waits since records began
    • This is an increase of 172% compared to September 2021.

New Year A&E record reveals Scotland’s GP crisis

A record-breaking number of people attending accident and emergency in the first week of January is a symptom of the country’s GP crisis, the Scottish Conservatives have said. Continue reading New Year A&E record reveals Scotland’s GP crisis