Important update on planned RCN industrial action
Members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) have voted to take industrial action at the majority of NHS Trusts across England, including two Trusts serving Derby and Derbyshire: Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust (DCHS) and Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (DHCFT). The industrial action relates to levels of pay and patient safety concerns.
The RCN has confirmed two consecutive dates for industrial action – Wednesday 18 January and Thursday 19 January 2023. On these dates, RCN members working for DCHS and DHCFT will have the opportunity and personal choice to take industrial action on one or both of these days.
Both DCHS and DHCFT provide a large range of community health services across Derby and Derbyshire. Both organisations deliver integrated services in conjunction with partners such as local general practices, schools, the police and local council therefore it’s important to be aware of the legal entitlement of DCHS and DHCFT employees to take industrial action, should they choose to, and the potential for both Trusts to be delivering reduced services on 18 and 19 January.
Patient safety will be the priority on the days of industrial action. Ward-based services will be staffed at reduced levels and crisis services will remain a priority. Both DCHS and DHCFT have full incident management teams in place and are in discussion with the RCN about safe staffing for services that provide emergency and life-saving care.
DCHS and DHCFT anticipate running the equivalent of Christmas Day staffing levels and have asked for the support of all system partners to prioritise and minimise referrals into their services on the two days of industrial action.
Now DCHS and DHCFT have received formal notice of industrial action, they are asking RCN colleagues if they intend to take part, so that they can identify the scale of the industrial action and the services that will be most affected. However, whilst it will be helpful to collate this information, it’s important to note that colleagues choosing to take part are not formally required to confirm their intentions before the action takes place.
DCHS and DHCFT will continue to work closely with union representatives to plan this action in a way that keeps disruption of services to a minimum and are advising members of the public to come forward for care and treatment unless they hear from them to be informed otherwise.
For the most up-to-date information, please see: