UK health minister says will not negotiate on pay with nurses' union

The relationship between the union, which has staged multiple strikes that have disrupted patient care, and the government became strained in late April when the health department limited the length of a strike after legal action against the RCN.

Medical Dialogues team had earlier reported that nurses in England have voted to reject the government’s new pay deal, their trade union said, setting out further strikes that will put the National Health Service under more strain as nurses hold out for a higher wage offer. About 54% of nurses who took part in a ballot voted to reject the pay deal, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) – who had recommended members accept the deal, said. The turnout was 61% of eligible members. The RCN said its members would stage a round-the-clock 48-hour strike from April 30, which for the first time will be joined by nursing staff from emergency departments, intensive care units, cancer care and other services that were previously exempt. 

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