More than 350 NHS workers at four Greater Manchester hospitals are due to begin three days of industrial action over a dispute about overtime payments, as the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust (NCA) has declared a critical incident ahead of the walkouts.
The trust said the declaration would help it secure additional support to maintain urgent surgery during the strikes. Some planned appointments and treatments may be delayed or rescheduled, with affected patients contacted directly, while urgent and emergency care is expected to continue.
The dispute involves operating theatre staff, including nurses, clinical support workers and housekeepers. UNISON says some workers can lose more than £80 ($109.12) per shift when covering staffing shortages through NHS Professionals. The union also says an offer to resolve the dispute was put forward by the trust but withdrawn before discussions could take place.
Dispute Centres on Overtime Payments
The industrial action is scheduled for Monday 24 August, Wednesday 26 August and Friday 28 August at Salford Royal Hospital, Royal Oldham Hospital, Rochdale Infirmary and Fairfield General Hospital in Bury.
The dispute centres on the NCA's use of NHS Professionals, an external agency that manages additional shifts. The union says staff covering shortages are entitled to time-and-a-half pay under their contracts, but some workers taking additional shifts through the agency receive less than they would for a normal shift.
Some staff are losing more than £80 ($109.12) per shift as a result. Operating theatre workers previously took strike action at the four sites in June.
Kevin Dolan, UNISON North West regional organiser, said the union remained ready to negotiate. He said workers were seeking what they believed they were entitled to under their contracts.
The dispute follows a separate agreement reached in July involving critical-care staff at the NCA. UNISON said those workers secured the option to take additional shifts at the contractual time-and-a-half rate or continue working through NHS Professionals.
Trust Declares Critical Incident
The NCA said declaring a critical incident would allow it to obtain additional support and maintain urgent surgical services during the strikes.
The trust said some planned appointments and treatments could be affected. Patients whose care needs to change will be contacted directly and do not need to contact the trust to check whether their appointment is going ahead.
Gertie Nic Philib, the NCA's chief people and strategy officer, said the trust was preparing for the industrial action and working to minimise disruption. Its focus, she said, was on 'maintaining safe services' and ensuring patients requiring 'urgent, emergency and other time-critical care' continue to receive treatment.
The critical incident comes amid existing concerns about pressure on the trust's services. The Manchester Evening News has reported that NCA records include cases involving patient deaths and severe harm linked to treatment delays and serious errors. The trust has said it is working to address safety concerns and improve services.
Three Days of Action Planned
Staff are due to form picket lines at the four hospitals from 7:30 a.m. on Monday and Friday. On Wednesday, workers from all four sites are scheduled to gather in Salford for a march, picket and rally.
The NCA has faced previous industrial action over overtime arrangements, including strikes by theatre staff in June. The latest walkouts will add pressure as the trust works to maintain urgent services while managing planned care.
UNISON says it remains willing to negotiate, while the NCA has said it will continue engaging with staff and prioritise patient safety during the industrial action.
