Strike on the cards for Orkney nurses

Nursing staff in Orkney could be set to strike, as pressure mounts over pay, understaffing and fear for the safety of patients.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) union announced the results of its nationwide ballot this Wednesday afternoon, which indicates that staff in NHS boards and trusts across the Scotland are willing to take strike action over pay — including Orkney.

No dates have yet been announced for a strike, and it is hoped by union members that the Scottish Government will be willing to return to the negotiation table.

Union members strongly believe that without an uplift in salary, potential nurses will be turned away from the profession — only compounding issues around staffing.

Speaking to The Orcadian this afternoon, Martha Gill, the RCN steward for NHS Orkney said: “It really feels like it’s reached a tipping point in nursing.

“There is not enough of us. The level of care we are able to give our patients isn’t what we signed up for, because there isn’t enough of us.”

It is understood that over 100 nurses and care support workers in Orkney are members of RCN.

More in next week’s edition of The Orcadian.