Manx nurses stage second walkout over pay and conditions

The union has rejected a 6% pay offer with a consolidated £1,000 sum

Nurses on the Isle of Man have started their second 12-hour walkout in a long-running row with Manx Care over pay.

The walkout by members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) began at 08:00 BST and will continue until 20:00.

Manx Care had warned the strike could lead to "dangerous levels" of staffing at Noble's Hospital.

But Estephanie Dunn from the RCN said nurses felt they had "not other option" as the current 6% pay offer with a £1,000 lump sum was not enough.

Tracy Erskine said staffing levels were "horrendous"

Tracy Erskine, a nurse on the children's ward, said many nights after work she would "go home and cry, because I am physically and emotionally exhausted".

Low numbers of staff meant nurses "barely get the time to do the basics" in looking after patients, she said.

Theatre recoveries nurse Sarah Forsythe agreed, and described staffing levels as "dire".

She said: "The only way you're going to get nurses is by increasing the pay and making it more attractive than the UK, this is about the future of nursing."

Sarah Forsythe said a lack of nurses has been an ongoing problem

The action has caused about 290 outpatient appointments to be rescheduled, and the cancellation of elective theatre sessions.

The minor injuries unit in Ramsey is also set to stay closed for the day.

'Running out of energy'

A Manx Care spokeswoman previously said key services would be protected during the strike, but admitted there could be some "last-minute closures".

The action follows the first ever strike held on the Isle of Man by the union in July.

The RCN has about 500 members on the Isle of Man

Ms Dunn said the union wanted the employer to put a "fair" proposal on the table which recognised how "critical" nurses were to the island's health service.

"They have had the worst four years in history, and they continue to work, turn up everyday, give their best, and they are running out of energy," she added.

The island's health care provider has previously said it cannot afford to improve its latest pay award offer.

The union plans to hold two further 12-hour walkouts on 18 and 19 October.

Nursing head Paul Moore said he recognised staff were burnt out

Manx Care's director of nursing Paul Moore said Noble's Hospital had managed the impact of the walkout "quite well", with the number of staff on wards at the same level as during night shifts.

But he admitted the strike had put services under "extraordinary pressure".

The health provider has been working "flat out" to address a shortage of nurses through better training opportunities and recruitment abroad but that would "take time", Mr Moore said.

He also acknowledged the Manx public supported nurses, which were "the glue" that held the health service together.

The island's health care provider has previously said while it respects the nurses' right to strike, it could not afford to improve its latest pay award offer.

The RCN plans to hold two further 12-hour walkouts on 18 and 19 October.

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