Tens of thousands of nurses across England, Wales and Northern Ireland are starting their first ever national strike, as they continue to fight for better wages and working conditions despite government warnings on services being "significantly impacted" during one of the busiest periods of the year.
Up to 100,000 members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) are holding a one-day halt from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. after rejecting a government pay offer.
Thousands of National Health Service (NHS) appointments and operations have been canceled due to the strike, with health services following bank holiday formats in many areas.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has said it will have staff catering to chemotherapy, emergency cancer services, dialysis, critical care units, neonatal and paediatric intensive care.
Some areas of mental health, learning disability and autism services are also exempt, while trusts have been told they can request staff for specific clinical needs.
When it comes to adult A&E and urgent care, nurses will work on Christmas Day rotas.
Saffron Cordery, interim chief executive of NHS Providers, told the PA news agency that NHS trusts were "pulling out all the stops" to lessen the impact on patients.
She said, "The picture will vary across the country as trust leaders work out service levels with unions locally. The cold snap has ramped up demand that was already at or close to record levels, but on strike day NHS trusts will do everything they can to ensure essential services are properly staffed and patient safety, being the priority, is safeguarded."
Ameera, a senior nurse in London who sought anonymity for her last name, told Agence France Presse (AFP), "We have not chosen industrial action lightly. We're tired. We're fed up. We need a pay rise now to make a living."
The U.K. is currently grappling with a cost-of-living crisis as spiraling inflation outstrips wage growth. Nurses unions demand a pay rise significantly above inflation, which surged to a 41-year high of 11.1% in October, falling slightly to 10.7% last month.
The government asserts that requests for pay rises coming from RCN are unaffordable and Health Secretary Steve Barclay called the strikes "deeply regrettable."
Struggle to make ends meet
RCN General Secretary Pat Cullen has offered to "press pause" on the strikes if Barclay agreed to talks.
But Barclay insisted that while he was open to talks on wider issues, the pay settlement was recommended by an independent review body and would not be reopened.
"The NHS Pay Review Body recommended a pay rise of at least £1,400 ($1,740) on top of a 3% pay rise last year," he said.
Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader, Keir Starmer, called the strike a "badge of shame" for the ruling Conservative government.
Mark Boothroyd, an emergency staff nurse, said the cost-of-living crisis had left nurses struggling to pay bills, transport and rent.
"Poor pay means newly qualified nurses now spend only a year or two before quitting the profession," added Boothroyd, who works at St. Thomas' Hospital in central London.
"The resulting unfilled vacancies have put a huge pressure on remaining staff, many of whom are grappling with mental health problems from stress. Conditions are horrendous and the status quo cannot continue," he said.