Thousands of patients could have appointments or surgery cancelled or postponed when nurses go out on strike later this year.
At least 177 NHS organisations across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will be hit when nurses take to the picket lines following an unprecedented vote over action for more pay.
Staff at many of the biggest hospitals in England will go on strike, although some trusts “narrowly missed” the turnout threshold for a legal ballot.
NHS hospitals around the country are now making plans.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) says emergency care will be maintained to preserve life or to prevent permanent disability, but non-urgent care is likely to be cut back.
The union is campaigning for a pay rise of 5 per cent above RPI inflation to overcome what it says are real-terms pay cuts. It says thousands of “burned out, underpaid nursing staff” have left the profession.
Figures show that nursing vacancies are at a record high of 47,000, meaning staff are stretched and regularly working beyond the end of their shifts.
Hospitals where treatment is set to suffer include St Thomas’ Hospital in London, opposite the House of Commons. This is the full list:
Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust
Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust
Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust
Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust
Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
