Leeds nurses' strike reaction 'phenomenal' as over 400 go on picket line

Sarah Dodsworth, the regional director of the Royal College of Nursing, joined nurses in Leeds as they held their biggest ever strike in the history of the NHS.

Hundreds of nurses and supporters lined outside Leeds General Infirmary as they demanded a pay rise of five per cent above inflation.

Nurses also lined outside St James’ and Chapel Allerton hospitals, where they were joined by members of other unions and members of the public.

Car drivers beeped their horns as they passed to show solidarity.

Ms Dodsworth said she wanted to apologise to every patient who had missed an appointment or care due to the strike.

Health minister Maria Caulfield said around 70,000 appointments, procedures and surgeries will be lost in England due to the strike

But Ms Dodsworth insisted that nurses had no choice to strike over issues including patient safety.

She said: “The support of the public has been overwhelming. We know we’re disrupting their care, and yet still they support us.

"I hope we can keep that support if we need to keep going with our action.

"Who knew nurses would ever go on strike?

"We feel we have no choice. I, on behalf of all the nurses on that line, send our heartfelt apologies. But the reality is, care is disrupted already because there are not enough nursing staff.”

But despite several Tories asking health secretary Steve Barclay to rethink the pay offer and stop a second planned strike, Ms Dodsworth said she had little hope talks would come to fruition.

She said: “We’ve got no hope, as far as I’m aware, that Mr Barclay is coming back to the table. The plans for Tuesday are still going ahead and will do unless he comes to us for a reasonable talk about pay.

“We don’t want to. But it’s clear from the influence we’re having, we are making an impact. Whether that’s enough – who knows?”

Some nurses Ms Dodsworth had spoken to on the picket line had had experiences of missing meals to provide for their children, she said, or had taken on extra shifts in order to pay for Christmas presents.