Last week the College confirmed that they would not call nurses to strike whilst the threat of COVID-19 remained present.
Patricia Marquis, RCN Regional Director says: “The lack of progress is devastating for our members. At a time when they will be called upon like never before this is a complete kick in the teeth. We have been strung along by the States for so long now. If it were not for COVID-19 we would absolutely be calling the nurses to strike next week. The States should make no mistake, once the threat from COVID-19 has passed, our members will walk out.
“We have written to the States desperately trying to get P&R commit to close the gap. We appreciate that the pandemic puts numerous stakeholders in a terrible position but now more than ever we would expect the States to recognise the value of nurses and put some form of commitment in place to support them. Nurses who are stepping up should not be stepped upon and we will continue our fight once this crisis is over.”
