RCN members at hospitals in Bury St Edmunds and Ipswich will not strike in December

Royal College of Nursing (RCN) members at West Suffolk and Ipswich Hospital will not be amongst those taking part in strike action in the run up to Christmas.

Nursing staff that are members of the RCN union at both the West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (WSFT) and East Suffolk and North Essex Foundation Trust (ESNEFT), have met the necessary threshold to strike.

However the two trusts in Suffolk will not be involved in the first round of action which will take place at hospital trusts across the country on December 15 and December 20.

A spokesman for the WSFT, which covers West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds and Newmarket Hospital, said: "The RCN has published the lists of sites across the country where industrial action will take place in December, WSFT is not on this list.

"We continue to liaise closely with union colleagues to prepare for any action, should it be announced."

A spokeswoman for ESNEFT, which manages Ipswich Hospital, confirmed that its trust is also not on the list for strike action in December but the trust is continuing to plan for any local impact of any industrial action.

It is not yet known when the next round of industrial action by the RCN will take place.

Teresa Budrey, RCN Eastern Regional Director said: "We have been forced to take this action due to the UK Government’s refusal to come to the negotiating table.

"The power lies in ministers’ hands to stop strike action going ahead by opening serious talks that address our dispute.

“No member of nursing staff wants to strike, but we are taking this action to protect the future of the profession and the safety of patients.”