Nurses from Mile End Hospital and The Royal London Hospital are not likely to be directly affected by nationwide nurses’ strikes planned this month.
Earlier last month, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) announced that its members plan to strike over pay and patient safety on December 15 and 20.
However, a spokesperson for the nurses union said votes from its members at East London’s hospital trusts did not meet the legally ‘required threshold’ for strike action.
Following the strike announcement Barts Health, the NHS trust that manages Mile End Hospital and The Royal London Hospital, posted a statement saying it is continuing to develop winter contingency plans as other unions ‘may yet’ vote for industrial action.
Barts serves a population of 2.5m and manages three other hospitals: Whipps Cross Hospital in Leytonstone; St Bartholomew’s Hospital in the City; and, Newham Hospital in Plaistow.