SERVICES at Russells Hall Hospital will not be disrupted by the upcoming nurses’ strike, it has been confirmed.

Nursing staff at the majority of NHS employers across the UK have voted to strike over pay.

However, it has been confirmed that nurses employed by the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust will not be taking industrial action.

This means it’s business as usual at Russells Hall Hospital, Corbett Hospital in Stourbridge and Guest Hospital in Dudley.

The biggest union for nurses, The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) called for action following NHS Agenda for Change pay announcements earlier this year which the union says left experienced nurses 20 per cent worse off in real terms compared to a decade ago.

The RCN is campaigning for a pay rise of five per cent above RPI inflation to overcome the real-term pay cuts and support nursing staff through the cost-of-living crisis.

Diane Wake, chief executive of The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust said: “The Dudley Group has been informed by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) that a ballot of their union members did not meet the threshold to take industrial action.

“We value our staff and understand the importance of good pay and conditions for individuals and their families, as well as wider NHS staff retention and recruitment.

“Any members of the public that need care should continue to come forward as normal.”

Industrial action is expected to begin before the end of this year, with more detailed plans and timelines to be announced shortly.

The postal ballot for RCN members took place between October 6 and November 2 and is the first statutory ballot on industrial action across the UK in the 106-year history of the union.

The RCN mandate to organise strikes runs until early May 2023, six months after members finished voting.