Hospital staff strike again in overtime row

Operating theatre staff are taking part in strike action in a row about overtime pay.

Workers at Bedford Hospital and Luton and Dunstable University Hospital began a walkout on Monday that is due to end at 01:00 BST on Thursday.

Trade union Unison said theatre assistants, operating department practitioners and other staff had seen their pay cut for working extra hours and is calling for this to be reversed.

A spokesperson for Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said it was "sorry that some colleagues feel distressed by the recent changes to overtime and additional hours payments".

They added: "These changes were introduced earlier this year following a formal consultation process, including individual discussions with affected staff and engagement with trade unions and ACAS.

"They were introduced to ensure fairness and consistency across our workforce and to align with national NHS Agenda for Change arrangements."

Unison said staff previously earned time-and-a-half for working additional shifts, but in February the trust decided to pay them a flat rate.

This meant staff were losing more than £100 per shift, it said.

More than 100 operations were cancelled when workers walked out on 25 and 26 June.

The union said staff were reluctant to take on extra shifts without being paid properly, adding to the likelihood of staff shortages and long-term disruption if overtime payments were not reinstated.

Unison Eastern head of health Caroline Hennessy said the trust was treating staff unfairly.

"It worked them into the ground over the winter to tackle waiting lists and then decided to cut their pay," she said.

"Bedfordshire Hospitals must reverse this cut."

A spokesperson for the trust said it was disappointed that recent discussions with Unison had not been constructive.

"We had hoped for more collaborative engagement... and we remain concerned about the impact on patients whose procedures cannot safely be delayed."

They added that emergency, trauma and urgent maternity theatres would continue to run as usual.

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