South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Trust midwives vote to strike over on-call rosters
Midwives at the South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust have voted to strike.
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (STSFT) midwives have voted in favour of strike action to prevent being rostered on-call on their days off.
In a ballot of impacted Royal College of Midwives (RCM) members at the NHS Trust, 92% of them voted yes to strike action.
At the time of writing, no strike dates have been set by the union and the RCM has stated that any industrial action would be limited to members refusing to undertake the disputed on-call arrangements.
This means that midwives at STSFT will continue to work their normal rostered hours.
‘Rest days must be protected’
Lynn Collins, RCM Director of Representation and Organising, said: “Our members have spoken loudly and clearly. A 92 per cent yes vote is an unmistakable message that midwives at South Tyneside and Sunderland have had enough.
"Rest days must be protected. Rostering midwives to work on call on their much-needed days off is unsafe, unsustainable and totally unacceptable.
“Safe staffing is the foundation of safe care and that means ensuring the midwives looking after women and babies are properly rested and supported."
The RCM has stated that the proposed on-call system is unsafe and unsustainable, risks increased burnout and damage to the recruitment and retention of midwives.
The union says that it has been in negotiations with the NHS Trust for more than three years to seek a solution that doesn’t force midwives onto on-call shifts at busy times.
The RCM has reported that it has put forward a number of alternative proposals that it believes are workable and are designed to ensure extra staff are available during busy periods while protecting midwives' rest days.
Maternity services to run ‘as usual’
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust has said that it respects the decision taken by RCM members and stated that it will continue to work constructively with the union.
Following the industrial action ballot, Melanie Johnson, the Executive Director of Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, has reassured patients that maternity services will continue to operate “as usual”.
She commented: “We respect the decision taken by RCM members and will continue to engage constructively with our colleagues and trade union partners.
“Our priority, as always, is to provide safe, high-quality care for women and families. We will make appropriate plans to maintain safe services during any period of industrial action.
"As noted by the RCM, this action will only impact the proposed on-call rota.
"We would like to offer assurances the rest of our service will continue as usual to support parents and the delivery of their babies.
“We have been working closely with the RCM, Unison and our midwives throughout these discussions. Their input has helped shape our proposals.
“The proposed on-call rota is designed to support safe care, allowing us to respond quickly during periods of increased demand by bringing in additional midwives when needed.
“We have been clear that staff would receive appropriate rest before their next shift and be paid for the time they work.”