U.K. Nurses Take Their Protest to the Government’s Doorstep

In a decisive effort to amplify their voices, a group of surgery nurses, represented by Unite, Britain and Ireland’s largest union, and employed by Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, has taken their ongoing strike directly to the heart of government. These London-based nurses are setting a powerful precedent for their colleagues in the U.S. and globally by escalating their protest strategy from hospital grounds to the government’s doorstep. They plan to hold a demonstration in front of 10 Downing Street, the U.K.’s equivalent of protesting at the White House in the United States.

This move signifies an intensification of the ongoing conflict between the nurses and their employers regarding later working hours. By taking their demonstration to the government offices, the nurses aim to draw attention to their grievances and potentially pressure authorities to intervene in the dispute. The strike highlights the challenges faced by healthcare professionals in negotiating fair labor practices, on a global scale. 

From September 3-5, 2024, around 100 nurses plan to protest at government facilities including, 

• 10 Downing Street
• The Department of Health and Social Care
• NHS England
• London Bridge Hospital

Beginning September 3, approximately 25 healthcare workers gathered outside the Department of Health and Social Care in central London to boldly escalate their dispute over working hours.

The protest outside the DHSC headquarters signifies a significant escalation in the conflict between the nurses and their employer, as they seek to draw attention to their grievances and potentially pressure authorities to intervene in the matter.

Nurses Demand Safe Working Hours

At the heart of the dispute lies the contentious issue of working hours. The nurses involved in the protest assert that their current working conditions are untenable and are calling for a comprehensive review and resolution of the matter. According to Unite, the nurses were already facing unsustainable workloads before their shifts were extended by an additional hour, from 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM, earlier this year. Prior to this, hospital administration had already increased their shift end time from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM and introduced mandatory Saturday shifts.

“Working devoted staff into the ground will make things worse, as dedicated NHS workers leave for the sake of their own health. That is the nurses’ message to Guys’ and St Thomas’, which must reintroduce sustainable hours, and to the government, which cannot expect to fix the NHS by shovelling ever increasing demands onto already exhausted staff,” said Unite general secretary Sharon Graham.

The nurses’ demands revolve around establishing reasonable work schedules that prioritize their well-being and enable them to provide high-quality care to patients. They argue that excessive working hours, with a 9 pm end time, and inadequate rest periods not only jeopardize their physical and mental health but also compromise patient safety.

By staging their protest at the government facilities, the nurses aim to capture the attention of policymakers and decision-makers who have the authority to intervene in the dispute. They hope that their collective action will prompt the government to take a proactive role in addressing their concerns and facilitating a resolution.

While the protest represents an escalation in the nurses’ efforts, it remains unclear how the government will respond to their demands. Negotiations between the hospital trust and the nurses’ representatives have been ongoing, but a resolution has yet to be reached.

“Guys’ and St Thomas’ theatre nurses are striking because they are burnt out and have no work life balance. Increasing the number of surgeries in this manner is risking patient safety and is detrimental to the nurses’ wellbeing. This dispute will continue to escalate until Guys’ and St Thomas’ leadership enters good faith negotiations with Unite to find a solution that is acceptable to our members,” said Unite regional officer Tabusam Ahmed.

The strike by the London surgery nurses has brought to the forefront the broader issue of healthcare worker well-being and the need for fair labor practices in the medical field, on a global scale. As the protest continues to unfold, all stakeholders will be closely monitoring the situation, hoping for a resolution that addresses the nurses’ concerns while ensuring the continuity of essential healthcare services.