Royal College of Nursing could vote on strike action

Lucy Muchina, a senior director at the Royal College of Nursing, has told Sky News this morning that its members will be voting on “next steps” after calling for a 12.5% pay rise for nursing staff.

She said that “Industrial action is an option”, but added that “making sure patient care is not compromised,” was also a priority to the world’s largest nursing union.

GPs in England have also threatened industrial action in light of the government’s plans to pressure them to undertake face-to-face appointments for any patient who wants them.

Last week the GPs committee of the British Medical Association (BMA), the UK’s largest trade union for doctors, voted unanimously to reject the health secretary’s plans.

This comes amid rising warnings regarding an NHS winter crisis, and a record backlog of 5.7 million people in England waiting for hospital treatment.