FIRST NURSES STRIKE IN HISTORY HAPPENING TODAY

Nurses have today begun their biggest walkout in history, in strike action which involves about a quarter of hospitals and community teams.

Tens of thousands of nurses have gone on strike for their first mass walkout in a century across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The action, which is a bid to secure above-inflation pay rises, has gone ahead after talks to avert the action ended in a deadlock.

There are picket lines in place at dozens of hospitals and thousands of NHS appointments and operations have been cancelled, with the health service running a Christmas Day style service in many areas.


The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has said it will still staff chemotherapy, emergency cancer services, dialysis, critical care units, neonatal and paediatric intensive care.

Sky News