Cleveland's Tory PCC brands NHS strikes 'criminal'

Cleveland PCC Steve Turner warns strikes by health workers will add further pressure on to the police service

Strikes by NHS workers would be tantamount to a criminal act and put lives at risk, claims a police and crime commissioner.

Steve Turner, Conservative, who oversees Cleveland Police in north-east England, said strikers would add extra pressure to other stretched 999 crews.

Hundreds of thousands of NHS workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are being balloted for industrial action.

Unions say it is a last resort due to low pay and services at crisis point.

Unison, the largest health union, is recommending its members vote in favour of walking out, as is the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) which is balloting all of its UK members.

'Under pressure'

In England and Wales, NHS staff, including nurses, are being given an average pay award of 4.75% more, with extra for the lowest paid, while in Scotland, 5% has been given. In Northern Ireland, nurses are yet to receive a pay award.

Mr Turner told the BBC's Politics North programme: "Strikes like this are criminal [because of] the pressure they put on other services.

"From a policing perspective, if there isn't an ambulance or [people] can't get hold of a healthcare professional while [nurses] are striking, they're going to pick up the phone and ring a police officer.

"What I'm saying is you're putting people's lives at risk and you're putting other people under pressure by taking this action."

'Services on their knees'

Unions argue staff cannot afford a real-terms pay cut with inflation running at 10.1% and insist emergency care will continue during any strikes.

Responding to Mr Turner's comments, Liz Blackshaw, the TUC (Trades Union Congress) regional secretary for the North, said: "We're not looking at people who are making these decisions lightly, but we are looking at services on their knees.

"If you look at average waiting times for ambulances, if you look at patient waiting times, if you look at how many people are now going to private practices rather than NHS services, we're in an unsustainable position."