Thousands of radiographers in England are to strike on Tuesday amid a row with the government over pay, recruitment and retention.
Members of the Society of Radiographers (SoR) have voted to reject the 5% pay award offered by ministers and called for talks to reopen after other public sector workers, including junior doctors, were offered more.
Alarming numbers of staff are quitting the profession and not enough is being done to recruit or retain workers, the union says. The 48-hour strike will run from 8am on Tuesday and will involve 37 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 were supported by radiographers, who carry out X-rays, MRI and CT scans, ultrasounds and breast screening, as well as radiotherapy for cancer patients. One million patients 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.
Dean Rogers, the 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.”
Many radiographers worked punishingly long shifts to ensure that patient care did not suffer as a result of staffing shortages, the union said. This took an inevitable toll on their physical and emotional health.
A radiographer working in a south London hospital said: “You come into work tired, but you just have to try your best. By the time you’re finished, you’re really, really broken. You come home and you can’t even stand up.”
Steve Barclay, the health secretary, said the pay award for radiographers was final. “I want to see an end to disruptive strikes so the NHS can focus relentlessly on cutting waiting lists and delivering for patients,” he said.
“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 benefiting 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.”
