NHS threatens legal action to block second day of nurses’ strike

The NHS has launched a legal challenge that could end in the high court to block the second day of an upcoming strike by tens of thousands of nurses.

Officials at NHS Employers wrote to the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) on Wednesday saying the union’s plans for a two-day strike were unlawful.

In response, it is understood the RCN has said it will “forcibly resist” employers’ attempts to seek a high court injunction designed to block the strike, which they insist is lawful.

The threat raises the possibility of a high court clash between NHS lawyers backed by the government and those of the nursing union. It also highlights the increasingly bitter relationship between the government and those representing workers on the frontline of the health service.

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Source: The Guardian, 20 April 2023