Missing-in-action Health Secretary Steve Barclay hasn't spoken to nursing union chiefs for a MONTH, it is claimed - as the strike crisis escalates again.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) - which represents more than 460,000 nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants - has ramped up action with a 48-hour walkout now involving A&E and ICU staff.
It accused leaders of dragging more people into the walkouts by failing to engage.
RCN general secretary Pat Cullen told BBC Breakfast there has been "no communication" with Mr Barclay during the past month.
She continued: "I'm deeply disappointed that I go back every moment of the day to the 320,000 nurses who took part in this ballot for strike action and say to them that I have no news for them.
"That I can't give them any outcome so that they can get back to looking after their patients, so that they can get a decent wage and remain within the health service. It is devastating for those nurses actually."
The union has announced walkouts at more than 120 NHS employers in England from 6am on March 1.
It will involve nursing staff working in emergency departments, intensive care units, cancer care and other services that were previously exempted.
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust chief executive Nick Hulme told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the planned strikes "will be very different and it's clearly a much higher risk" than previous strikes.
Ms Cullen said: "What I accept is that there will be significant changes in the 48 hours. And of course there will continue to be extreme challenges."
Asked again, she said: "What our patients are facing every day, in a depleted health service, a health service in crisis, poses significant risk and significant challenge."
Ms Cullen urged Rishi Sunak to step in and help resolve the dispute.
She said: "We're working night and day with NHS leaders, but we can also see NHS leaders stepping in and writing to the Prime Minister.
"There's no doubt there will be a significant impact and we are now urging the Prime Minister to step in with 12 days to try and resolve this, around a round table today."
It comes as the chief executive of the NHS Confederation also urged Mr Sunak to settle the strike action to reduce waiting lists.
Matthew Taylor told BBC Breakfast: "That really difficult challenge of reducing waiting lists becomes almost impossible if this industrial actions spreads, as it is spreading, and particularly if junior doctors join the industrial action.
"So the Government's aspiration to lower waiting lists, it's public commitment to lower waiting lists, is now being jeopardised by this ongoing industrial action."
Following the announcement of new strikes, Labour Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “People will be flabbergasted that, three months into this dispute, Rishi Sunak still refuses to get around the table with health unions to bring an end to strikes in the NHS.
“There hasn’t been a single minute of negotiation, but there have been tens of thousands of cancelled operations and appointments. Patients are paying the price for the Conservatives’ refusal to negotiate.”
Yesterday Mr Barclay said: "Failure to provide cover during strike action for key services like cancer care is a significant escalation from the Royal College of Nursing that will risk patient safety.
"We are working closely with NHS England on contingency plans, but this action will inevitably cause further disruption for patients.
"I've had a series of discussions with unions, including the RCN, about what is fair and affordable for the coming year, as well as wider concerns around conditions and workload."
