Government wants to ensure people are ‘safe’ during NHS strikes – Cleverly

James Cleverly has said the Government wants to ensure everyone is “safe” during the NHS strikes later this month.

The Foreign Secretary said the Government is putting “contingency” plans in place as ambulance workers, nurses and other NHS staff plan to go on strike over several days in December.

Speaking to Sky News on Sunday, he said: “We are looking at contingency planning to make sure that we can keep people safe and people should rely on the NHS, they should call 999 if there’s a problem and we’ll work to make sure that they can be moved from where they are to where they need to be treated.”

The Foreign Secretary said that the Government wanted to make sure that people are “safe”.

Meanwhile, Sir Stephen Powis, medical director of NHS England, also said the service was working with unions to ensure patients are kept safe on strike days.

“We are working hard to make sure patients are safe, emergency services will be maintained, so if you have a life-threatening condition then please continue to call 999 and if non life-threatening condition then 111 should be your dockyard of call,” he said.

He added that patients should attend appointments unless advised in advance that they had been cancelled.

Unions have said they will respond to life-threatening incidents – known as a category one call – when they strike on December 21 in a row over pay.

The GMB, Unison and Unite are co-ordinating industrial action across England and Wales after accusing the Government of ignoring pleas for a decent wage rise.

RCN general secretary Pat Cullen, whose members are due to take part in unprecedented strike action on December 15 and December 20, made the offer to pause the walkout in exchange for pay talks on Saturday night after earlier this week accusing Health Secretary Steve Barclay of deploying “bullyboy” tactics.

On the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Ms Cullen said she is willing to be flexible but denied her trade union’s position has changed.

“What I am saying is the Health Secretary can choose negotiation over picket lines,” she said.

But on Sunday, Mr Cleverly robustly defended the independent review process that the Government has insisted should determine pay increases, as he appeared to rule out Mr Barclay entering talks on nurses’ salaries.

“He has said he is willing to meet them,” the Cabinet minister told Sky News.

“Meetings are different from pay negotiation.

“Ultimately, independent bodies are there for a reason – it is to take the politics out of this sort of stuff.”