Why Royal Oldham Hospital critical care staff are striking

Despite the yellow weather warning for strong winds, the staff members represented by the union UNISON were out on the picket line, encouraging many supportive beeps from passing traffic.

The feelings of the staff members were made clear by the slogans on their signs.

One read: “Our ventilators support us better”, another: “I can manage multi-organ failure! The NHS can’t manage my pay.”

The decision to strike came on Tuesday, when talks between UNISON and Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust (NCA), which runs the hospital along with Bury’s Fairfield Hospital and Salford Royal, collapsed.

Slogans on the placards include: “Our ventilators support us better” (Image: The Oldham Times)

Announcing the strike, UNISON said critical care units in the region are heavily reliant on overtime due to staff shortages and paying workers fairly for extra work would help relieve pressure on the hospitals.

UNISON claims that critical care staff are currently paid less for the overtime shifts than they are for regular shifts, despite contracts that say they should get time and half for overtime.

They say this is due to the trust making staff take out secondary contracts with an NHS agency.

The union argues staff should receive proper overtime payments and pension contributions when doing additional shifts.

The trust has said that while it is ‘disappointed’ industrial action could not be avoided “patient safety and high-quality care remain our absolute priority”.

Hema Balda, an ICU sister who has worked for the NHS for 22 years, said: “We deliver expert skills, so we deserve expert pay.”

She added: “No one else can do our job. We deliver a high intensive care, so we deserve the overtime pay accordingly.”

Hema Balda, 49, said: “We deliver expert skills, so we deserve expert pay.” (Image: The Oldham Times)

The 49-year-old said that the extra workload has been taking its toll on the personal lives of staff members with morale at an all-time low.

She said: “Most of us are feeling down and unhappy because the reduced pay is causing a huge impact on us.

“Some shifts are not covered because nobody wants to work for that pay. But if we get overtime pay, the shift will be covered and we’ll never let our patients down.

Patients are also at the heart of the strikes, according to those on the picket line, and making sure they are cared for properly.

Day shift UNISON members have walked out for 12 hours from 7.30am, including nurses, support workers, and housekeepers.

Another nurse, who wished not to be named, said: “We look after the most critically unwell people of Oldham. They’re your family, they’re your loved ones and they deserve holistic, amazing care from compassionate, not burnt-out nurses.”

“I can manage multi-organ failure! The NHS can’t manage my pay.” (Image: The Oldham Times)

Ian Angus, a band seven nurse manager, described the strike as a “momentous occasion”.

He added: “I’ve worked for the trust for a lot of years. I’ve been very loyal to the trust and it doesn’t feel like nurses get the same loyalty back.

“In my 25 years of working in the NHS, this is the first time I’ve ever been on a picket line – and that’s despite numerous occasions voting for strike. This is unheard of.”

He also pointed out that these strikes come as the cost of living continues to rise.

The 54-year-old said: “If they didn’t need to work these extra hours in order to pay for the food, and the energy prices, and the rents, and the mortgages – all of which are spiralling –they wouldn’t be coming into work to get paid less than they would for a normal shift.”

He added: “It just shows how desperate the nurses are, how financially desperate they are.”

One nurse said that morale is low among staff members (Image: The Oldham Times)

These sentiments were echoed by another UNISON member, who had come to support Oldham staff from another hospital. She has worked as a nurse since qualifying in 1999.

She said: “Do you know how many normal band five nurses are being forced into almost poverty?

“But at the wages that they’re on, they’re not entitled to any support, most of them, so you’re struggling. By the end of the month, you’re lucky if you’ve got £50 left.”

Strikes were also taking place at the other NCA hospitals at Fairfield in Bury and Salford Royal.

UNISON flags outside Royal Oldham Hospital (Image: The Oldham Times)

Katie Robinson, deputy chief nursing officer at the NCA, said: “We respect our colleagues’ right to take lawful industrial action.

“Throughout this process, we have worked with UNISON through ACAS conciliation, and we are grateful for their constructive involvement.

“While both parties are disappointed that industrial action could not be avoided, our focus remains on being fair, equitable and consistent for all colleagues.

“Patient safety and high-quality care remain our absolute priority, and we are working hard to minimise any disruption for our patients and people who use our services.

“Anyone who has an appointment should attend as scheduled unless contacted and told otherwise.”