Radiographers in England stage two-day strike over pay and staff | Doctors

Thousands of radiographers in England are due to strike on Tuesday amid a row with the government over wages, recruitment and retention.

Members of the Society of Radiographers (SoR) voted to reject the 5% pay offered by ministers and called for talks to be reopened after other public sector workers, including junior doctors, were offered more.

An alarming number of employees are leaving the profession and not enough is being done to recruit or retain workers, according to the union. The 48-hour strike will run from 8 a.m. Tuesday and will involve 37 NHS trusts where members have a strike mandate.

These include the Royal Marsden Cancer Hospital in London, University College London Hospitals, University Hospitals Liverpool, University Hospitals Nottingham, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston, and University Hospitals Sheffield.

The SoR said nine out of 10 NHS patients are cared for by radiographers, who carry out x-rays, MRIs and CT scans, ultrasounds and breast screenings, as well as radiotherapy for cancer patients. A million patients are waiting for an X-ray.

Union representatives from each trust have agreed that staff will provide emergency ‘life and limb’ cover for patients, which generally means the same levels of staff as on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Dean Rogers, Executive Director of Industry Strategy and Member Relations for the SoR, said: “Voting to strike was a difficult decision for our members, who care first and foremost about the safety and well-being of their patients.

“We need to draw attention to the fact that many x-ray professionals are feeling burnt out with low pay and increased hours. They are leaving the NHS and they are not being replaced in sufficient numbers.

“If the government wants to reduce NHS waiting lists and ensure patients get the treatment they need, when they need it, then it must urgently prioritize the recruitment and retention of x-ray professionals – and that means talking to us about pay and conditions.

“But they refuse to talk to us, even if our door is open. Our members deserve better. Our patients deserve better.

Many radiographers worked long, arduous days to ensure patient care was not suffering from understaffing, the union said. This had an inevitable impact on their physical and emotional health.

A radiographer working at a south London hospital said: ‘You come to work tired, but you just have to do your best. By the time you’re done, you’re really, really broke. You come home and you can’t even get up.

Steve Barclay, the health secretary, said radiographers’ pay was final. “I want to see an end to disruptive strikes so the NHS can focus relentlessly on reducing waiting lists and delivering to patients,” he said.

“The majority of NHS Staff Council unions have voted to accept the government’s fair and reasonable offer of a 5% pay rise for 2023-24, plus two large one-off payments totaling at least £1,655, putting more money in their pockets now. More than a million NHS staff, including radiographers, are already benefiting from this pay rise.

“The NHS also recently released the first-ever NHS long-term workforce plan to recruit and retain hundreds of thousands of additional staff. This wage award is final and I therefore urge the Society of Radiographers to call off the strikes.