‘Exhausted’ Isle of Man nurses plan further strikes and demos

More nursing strikes are set to hit the Isle of Man if pay negotiations do not materialise soon.

A non-strike demonstration is set to be held on island next week by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) to spread awareness about the need to pay nursing staff fairly.

And an RCN Isle of Man representative has told Nursing Times that fresh dates for strikes in the autumn are being planned.

Next week’s non-strike action will see nurses embark on a bus tour to raise awareness for the cause, with Noble’s Hospital, the island’s biggest medical centre, being among the stops.

"Nurses are just exhausted here. We’re taking on extra shifts, and getting burned out. Our patients deserve better"

Claire Green

Claire Green, RCN branch secretary for the island and orthopaedic trauma ward sister, said that if the non-strike action did not lead to further negotiations, the branch hoped to hold a 24-hour strike in September, and a 48-hour one the next month. These dates are yet to be finalised by the RCN.

This comes after RCN members on the island off the coast of North West England, which is self-governed outside of the United Kingdom, held a 12-hour strike at the end of July after negotiations with Manx Care – the arms-length government organisation which runs healthcare – broke down.

The pay offer was for a 4% consolidated (permanent) rise for the 2021-22 financial year, 6% for 2022-23, and £1,000 additional consolidated for all pay points for 2022-23.

The percentage increases have been implemented, despite RCN membership rejecting them.

RCN members voted to strike earlier this year, feeling the pay deals were not enough, and because they felt they did not address wider problems of staffing and resourcing.

A Manx Care spokesperson told Nursing Times in July that any further pay negotiations or offers would have to come from the Isle of Man Government, not Manx Care.

Ms Green said that whilst pay was of huge concern to nurses there, understaffing and under-resourcing were their greatest worries.

“Whilst pay is an issue, we’re understaffed generally,” she said.

“It’s recruitment and retention, and being safe at work. We absolutely appreciate that steps are being made in that direction – there’s a big international recruitment drive – but that comes with ethical issues.

“And nurses are just exhausted here. We’re taking on extra shifts, and getting burned out. Our patients deserve better.”

Under-resourcing was also having an impact on patients, Ms Green said: “On my ward, we’re getting more and more patients who aren’t orthopaedic ones being sent to us, because we have a bed – but we don’t have the specialism.

“So, we might be given a cardiac patient, and then someone will come in with a hip fracture and we don’t have the bed, so they end up somewhere else. Nurses are being expected to look after patients outside of their specialism.”

While pressures were present all-year round, Ms Green said they were heightened during seasonal events on which the island’s economy relies.

Coming up later in August is the Manx Grand Prix, a large motorcycling event. Ms Green said every year this event meant even more patients than normal, especially on her ward.

In an attempt to keep the issue alive in the minds of the Isle of Man public, as well as the government, the RCN’s bus tour around the island on 16 August will see nurses head to Noble’s Hospital, Ramsey Market Square, Peel Market Place and Castletown Square to spread their message.

Ms Green explained that nurses were disappointed no government representative attended the July picket line, and they hope for engagement soon.

However, nurses have a Q&A session scheduled next week with Manx Care’s chief executive and the island’s treasury minister.

She added that no nurse on the island wanted to strike, but that they felt like their hand had been forced: “None of us want to be doing this, but people are feeling we’re not being listened to by the more usual means.”

A Manx Care spokesperson said it had "not been formally advised" of further strike action, but added: "However, it’s important to reiterate that Manx Care respects and acknowledges our colleagues’ right to take industrial action.

"Equally, we are aware of the disruption that this will undoubtedly cause to patients, service users, members of the public and our colleagues who work to provide cover during strike periods.

"Manx Care remains open to dialogue with RCN members. However, our options remain limited due to our financial constraints and having exhausted our funding pot.

"All funding that has been received by the organisation to be used for pay awards has already been used to fund pay awards."

The Isle of Man Government declined to comment.