Worksop intensive care nurses set to strike over controverial transfer plans

The Unite Union, which has called for the strike action, claims Doncaster & Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (DBHT), which runs both Bassetlaw Hospital and DRI, has threatened to ‘fire and rehire’ the nurses on new contracts stipulating they must work part-time in Doncaster if they refuse to transfer voluntarily.

The proposals have already led to four members of staff leaving Bassetlaw ICU for other units.

Unite claims the Worksop nurses fear the transfers are one more step towards Bassetlaw Hospital losing its ICU permanently through what the union describes as ‘decommissioning by stealth’.

Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, said: “An NHS trust should not even be thinking of firing and rehiring staff – it is an abhorrent practice that should be banned outright.

“The trust’s threats have simply strengthened the nurses' resolve to stop Bassetlaw’s residents being deprived of a critically important health resource.

"They have Unite’s full support in taking strike action.”

Unite refutes claims by the trust’s management that nurses are at risk of being deskilled because of a lack of exposure to level three patients (those who are ventilated or have multiple organ failure).

The trust’s own data shows that there has not been a downward trend, and that per capita, nurses at Bassetlaw have a similar or higher exposure to level three patients than nurses at Doncaster.

Chris Rawlinson, Unite regional officer, said: “The trust’s plan is entirely unreasonable.

"They add at least an hour-and-a-half commute for those who drive and three hours for those who use public transport.

“This is on top of the 13-hour shifts the nurses already work – risking burnout for them and needlessly endangering patient safety due to staff exhaustion.

“Furthermore, this is a clear attempt at decommissioning by stealth – with the real risk that Bassetlaw patients in urgent need of an ICU will end up having to travel 20 miles to Doncaster to get to one.

"The trust must row back.”

Dates for strike action will be scheduled in the coming weeks if the dispute is not resolved.

Karen Jessop, chief nurse at DBHT, said: “We understand that change is difficult, however, this is about doing the right thing for our patients and securing the future of critical services locally.

"The Intensive Care Unit at Bassetlaw Hospital sees fewer critically ill patients than Doncaster Royal Infirmary, meaning clinicians at the latter manage more complex cases daily.

"By rotating our ICU clinicians across both sites, we ensure they maintain the skills and experience needed to provide safe, high-quality care— wherever it’s needed.

“Patients deserve the very best, and their loved ones should have confidence that we can respond to any situation, no matter how complex.

"With these changes, we can ensure services remain safe, sustainable, and effective for years to come.”