NHS Grampian says hospitals will likely be running Christmas Day levels of services if looming nursing strikes go ahead.
The health board has published a Q&A for staff, detailing how it will operate during days of potential industrial action.
Earlier this month members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in every Scottish health board voted to head to the picket lines over pay.
They’re calling for wage rises of 5% above inflation.
Last night the Scottish Government offered a “best and final offer” averaging 7.5%, which unions are now considering.
Their counterparts in England and Wales are preparing to stage walkouts on December 15 and 20.
What services will NHS Grampian run during strikes?
NHS Grampian says any strike action will maintain its so-called “life and limb” services. This covers the likes of medical emergencies and urgent procedures.
A briefing issued to staff reads: “To maintain these services in workplaces, service provision will most likely be equivalent to that supplied on Christmas Day.”
While any list needs to be finalised and agreed with trade unions, it will likely include:
- Accident and emergency department (including ambulance emergencies)
- Cancer treatments
- Emergency surgery
- GPs (out-of-hours)
- Hospital at Home
- Inpatient care
- Mental health services (out-of-hours)
- NHS 24/ 111
And when it comes to catering, NHS Grampian says patient meals will be prioritised. This means it is “likely” there won’t be a canteen offering for staff on strike days.
Will services be run safely? What if a major incident occurs?
In the run-up to any industrial action, each trade union will set up its own strike committee to ensure safe staffing levels.
NHS Grampian says both sides have agreed to work together to meet these.
As a result, it may be necessary for non-striking staff to “lend support” somewhere else in the organisation, depending on their skills and capabilities.
The health board has also confirmed that, in the event of a major incident like severe storm or other emergency, appropriate staffing will be in place to maintain its life and limb services.
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