Radiographers at 37 NHS trusts in England are going on strike as the pay row with the Government continues.
Members of the Society of Radiographers (SoR) have voted to reject the Government’s 5% pay award and called for talks to reopen after other public sector workers, including junior doctors, were offered more.
The union said worrying numbers of staff are leaving the profession and not enough is being done to recruit more workers.
We need to draw attention to the fact that many radiography professionals are feeling burnt out by low pay and increased hours. They’re leaving the NHS, and they are not being replaced in adequate numbers— Dean Rogers, Society of Radiographers
The 48-hour strike will run from 8am on Tuesday and will involve the 35 NHS trusts where members have a mandate to strike.
These include the Royal Marsden cancer hospital in London, University College London Hospitals, Liverpool University Hospitals, Nottingham University Hospitals, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals.
The SoR said nine out of 10 NHS patients are supported by radiographers, who carry out X-rays, MRI and CT scans, ultrasounds and breast screening, as well as radiotherapy for cancer patients.
A million people are waiting for radiography.
Union representatives from each trust have agreed staff will provide “life and limb” emergency cover for patients, which usually means the same staffing levels as Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
The majority of unions on the NHS Staff Council voted to accept the Government’s fair and reasonable offer of a 5% pay rise for 2023-24, alongside two significant one-off payments totalling at least £1,655, putting more money in their pockets now. Over a million NHS staff, including radiographers, are already benefitting from that pay rise— Health Secretary Steve Barclay
Dean Rogers, executive director of industrial strategy and member relations for the SoR, said: “Voting for strike action was a difficult decision for our members, who care above all about the safety and wellbeing of their patients.
“We need to draw attention to the fact that many radiography professionals are feeling burnt out by low pay and increased hours. They’re leaving the NHS, and they are not being replaced in adequate numbers.
“If the Government wants to reduce NHS waiting lists and ensure that patients receive the treatment they need, when they need it, then it must urgently prioritise the recruitment and retention of radiography professionals – and that means talking to us about pay and conditions.
“But they are refusing to talk to us, even though our door is open.
“Our members deserve better. Our patients deserve better.”
Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said: “I want to see an end to disruptive strikes so the NHS can focus relentlessly on cutting waiting lists and delivering for patients.
“The majority of unions on the NHS Staff Council voted to accept the Government’s fair and reasonable offer of a 5% pay rise for 2023-24, alongside two significant one-off payments totalling at least £1,655, putting more money in their pockets now.
“Over a million NHS staff, including radiographers, are already benefitting from that pay rise.
“The NHS also recently published the first ever NHS Long Term Workforce Plan to recruit and retain hundreds of thousands more staff.
“This pay award is final and so I urge the Society of Radiographers to call off strikes.”
Meanwhile, NHS England announced on Monday that industrial action by consultants over a 48-hour period last week resulted in 65,557 appointments and procedures having to be rescheduled.
It said the latest figures mean the total number of appointments and procedures rescheduled over the past eight months as a result of industrial action across the NHS is 765,000.
Dr Vin Diwakar, the NHS medical director for secondary care, said: “These figures show the impact industrial action is having on patients and families, and the scale of disruption is likely to be even greater, with many services avoiding scheduling appointments for strike days.
“We have now seen 765,000 appointments needing to be rescheduled in the last eight months due to strikes, and we are continuing to see a significant cumulative impact on NHS services as well as our hard-working staff as they do all they can to maintain safe patient services while tackling a record backlog.”
