Operating theatre staff at Luton and Dunstable Hospital join picket line in overtime pay row
Staff working in operating theatres at Luton and Dunstable Hospital will picket against overtime pay cuts tomorrow (Thursday) and Friday.
UNISON members voted to strike after Bedfordshire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust scrapped overtime pay in February.
The union says staff were previously given time-and-a-half pay for working over their 37.5-hour workweeks.
The Trust criticised the industrial action.
A spokesperson said: “We want to be clear that this planned industrial action will impact our services, and we are currently working hard to finalise safe staffing and operational plans.
“While we will do our best to ensure planned appointments and procedures continue, we know there will be disruption, and some delays are likely. Emergency, trauma and urgent maternity theatres will continue to run as usual.”
The Trust claimed the changes were introduced earlier this year after a formal consultation and were to “ensure fairness and consistency across our workforce and to align with national NHS Agenda for Change arrangements”.
But UNISON Eastern head of health Caroline Hennessy called the trust’s decision “a disgrace”.
Caroline said: “Workers rack up the hours to help tackle waiting lists and ensure patients get the care they need. They deserve to be paid fairly for doing so.
“It’s easy for Bedfordshire NHS to avoid any disruption. Bosses just need to keep paying staff the same rates they were before.”
The spokesperson said the Trust “values the theatre teams enormously and fully recognises the skill, commitment and pressure involved in their roles.”
They continued: “We are sorry that some colleagues feel distressed by the recent changes to overtime and additional hours payments.
“We have been in dialogue with UNISON about a number of elements, including an offer relating to back-pay on on‑call rates, and we were disappointed that this was not accepted.”
The Trust also advised the public to take extra care during the heatwave: “Please stay hydrated, keep cool, check on vulnerable relatives or neighbours, and use NHS services wisely. If you are unwell and it is not an emergency, please use NHS 111 online as your first point of contact.
They added: “Our priority is always to maintain safe, high‑quality care for patients while supporting our staff as much as possible, and we thank the public for their patience and understanding during this period.”