Health workers dispute already affecting patients: Action short of strike will continue until the end of this week

That is according to data supplied by Northern Ireland’s regional health Trusts, with the Western Trust area alone reporting a total of 625 postponed appointments and dozens of inpatient and daycase procedures put on hold.

This comes after the first strike by nurses, carers, cleaners and other health workers on Monday, when members of Nipsa, Unison and the GMB trade unions walked out in a dispute over pay, staffing levels and terms and conditions.

Unison regional secretary Patricia McKeown told the News Letter industrial action short of strike will continue until the end of this week and then “pause” for Christmas, with a resumption of strike action likely in the new year.

Tomorrow, more disruption is expected when members of the Royal College of Nursing take to the picket lines across Northern Ireland, England and Wales in the largest ever walkout in the history of the NHS.

The union is campaigning for a pay increase worth inflation plus 5%.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health in London said Health Secretary Steve Barclay would “continue to engage with the RCN as we move into the pay review process for next year and on non-pay related issues”.