Nurses strike: Why nurses at Portsmouth's QA Hospital did not strike today - and won't next week either

Today, nurses began taking strike action for the first time in history, with a further strike set to take place on Tuesday, December 20. But those working at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham, part of Portsmouth University Hospitals NHS Trust, were not out on the picket line today.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has confirmed that they will also be working next week – despite voting in favour of strike action.

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RCN south east regional director Ellen McNicholas said: ‘Thousands of nursing staff are striking across the country today, with a further date of action planned for next week.

‘Our members want to be inside the hospital working, not outside protesting. Around one in eight nursing posts in the NHS in England are vacant. We know our patients aren’t safe, and if we don’t act, we’ll see no change.

‘We want to negotiate with government and to avert strike action, but if the government continues to refuse then more of our members will take action in January.

‘Nurses in NHS employers in Portsmouth and across Hampshire have voted to take strike action, and they will be out on picket lines next year if the government refuses to negotiate seriously.’

Meanwhile, the government claims there are ‘no plans’ to look again at the pay deal for nurses who are staging their biggest ever strike in the history of the NHS.

HealthsSecretary Steve Barclay stood firm on the issue of pay when questioned by reporters, despite some Tories calling for a rethink.