YORK Hospital bosses say they have 'robust plans' in place to ensure patients continue receiving safe care after it was announced that nurses across the country are to go on strike for the first time.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said its members will stage a national walk out on December 15 and 20 in a dramatic escalation of the pay row raging across the NHS.

The RCN said it was calling the strikes after the UK Government had turned down its offer of formal, detailed negotiations as an alternative to industrial action.

It said that despite a pay rise of around £1,400 awarded in the summer, experienced nurses were worse off by 20 per cent in real terms due to successive below-inflation awards since 2010.

A spokesperson for York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said it had robust plans in place to manage the impact of any industrial action which would ensure it could continue to deliver safe care for its patients. 

"To do this, our staff and union representatives have worked together to put in place extensive procedures and processes which focus on maintaining essential services, although these may be staffed differently and there may be delays or other changes for patients," they said.

“If we need to cancel a procedure or outpatient appointment, patients will be contacted directly about this in advance. If patients have not heard from us, they should come to their procedure or appointment as planned."

They added that during industrial action, it was more important than ever that patients considered using 'appropriate, alternative,' services.

"If they are unsure of which service they need they can contact NHS 111 by phone or online at 111.nhs.uk to make sure they get the right care in the right place. This will help ensure that emergency care and attention is available for those that need it most.”

The RCN said the economic argument for paying nursing staff fairly was clear when billions of pounds was being spent on agency staff to plug workforce gaps.

It added that in the last year, 25,000 nursing staff around the UK left the Nursing and Midwifery Council register, with poor pay contributing to staff shortages across the UK, which it warned was affecting patient safety.

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said: “I am hugely grateful for the hard work and dedication of nurses and deeply regret some union members will be taking industrial action.

“These are challenging times for everyone and the economic circumstances mean the RCN’s demands, which on current figures are a 19.2% pay rise, costing £10 billion a year, are not affordable."

York Central Labour MP Rachael Maskell has said she is backing the nurses 'because they should be respected and paid a decent wage.'