Health workers in Surrey and Sussex stage two-day strike

Healthcare workers at three hospitals in West Sussex and Surrey will go on two-day strike over a pay dispute.

More than 350 staff at Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust will begin two days of industrial action on Tuesday.

Unison union members at East Surrey Hospital in Redhill, Crawley Hospital and Horsham Hospital are demanding pay they say reflects their role in patient care.

The trust said it was working with staff and the union on a solution.

Rachel Slaughter, Unison’s south-east regional organiser, said staff were providing patient care “beyond their job description”.

“They’ve been doing this for years because they’re proud of their work. But the trust got it cheap,” she said.

“Industrial action is a last resort, but employees believe that management have buried their heads in the sand and hoped the problem would resolve itself. That is not going to happen.”

The staff is employed in the second salary level and is therefore only allowed to carry out personal care tasks, such as bathing or feeding the patients.

However, they regularly carry out tasks such as inserting cannulas, ECG examinations and taking blood samples, for which they should actually be paid the higher wage rate of salary group three, the union said.

Further strike dates have been set for July 25 and 26.

Steve Torrance, regional secretary of Unison South East, said the dispute was “the tip of the iceberg”.

“Dedicated professionals in the NHS must receive the respect and pay they deserve,” he said.

The trust said: “While we respect their right to strike, we are disappointed that our pay offer, which is in line with the recommendations of the Royal College of Nursing, has not been accepted and that this action is taking place while the grievance process is ongoing.

“As a foundation, we value our nursing assistants and midwives and the work they do for our patients every day.”