NHS chaos continues as Government insists tens of thousands in Yorkshire will benefit from new health centres - in Cumbria and Gateshead

The dispute involving nurses in England could be extended to involve staff from emergency departments, intensive care and cancer wards in the next round of industrial action, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has said.

Dates for the next strikes by nurses in England are expected to be announced within days, with the action expected to take place within a couple of weeks.

Ambulance workers in Yorkshire who belong to the Unite union have also voted to take industrial action, with strike dates also expected to be announced this week.

NHS Providers deputy chief executive Saffron Cordery said: “Plans to escalate strikes even further is alarming given the significant impact they’ve already had on patients.

“The walkouts have led to 137,000 appointments being postponed so far, with nearly 50,000 of those being from Monday and Tuesday last week alone.

“A continuous 48-hour strike that includes staff from emergency departments, intensive care units and cancer care services would likely have the biggest impact on patients we’ve seen.”

It comes as the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) insisted tens of thousands of people in Yorkshire will benefit from new community diagnostic centres (CDC) to reduce patient waiting lists - despite neither of them being in the region.

The nearest centres to the region, in Workington, Cumbria, and Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, will be “one-stop-shops will be in the heart of the community,” according to DHSC, where patients can have tests or scans.

But none of the 19 new centres announced today are in Yorkshire, and the DHSC could not confirm any further plans for openings in the region when questioned by The Yorkshire Post.

South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard said: “Saying these two new cancer diagnostic centres are going to help people in South Yorkshire is like opening new services in Cardiff for people who live in London. I know this government often think the North is just one place, but these new centres are 150 miles away from us.

“South Yorkshire suffers from some of the worst cancer outcomes in the country. Surely this government can't really be suggesting to families going through some of the most frightening moments of their lives that it's a good thing they now have the option of a four hour return journey to access diagnostic tests? Our communities deserve better.”

There are three CDCs in the region operating in Mexborough at the Montagu Hospital, Barnsley Hospital and Hull.

Health Minister Will Quince pledged in December that CDCs would be operating in Beverley, York, Bradford, Huddersfield, Leeds, Beeston, Wakefield, Selby, and Withernsea by the end of 2023.