As nurses prepare to go on strike in the run-up to Christmas, details of which services will be exempt will soon be announced, the union has said.
On Friday, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) announced its members will stage their first national strike on December 15 and 20 over a pay dispute. Services deemed "life-preserving" and "emergency-type care" will continue to operate on the strike days, a nursing chief said.
RCN general secretary Pat Cullen has urged Health Secretary Steve Barclay to "stop the spin and start to speak" with nurses to avoid a walkout, accusing him of having "chosen strikes over speaking to me". Mr Barclay added that the union's demands of a 19.2 per cent pay rise are "not affordable".
