Health leaders fear that their warnings of a prolonged war of attrition are coming true

Responding to the additional strikes dates announced by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), Matthew Taylor chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said:

"With two more dates announced for nurse strikes in February and further ambulance walk-outs on the horizon, health leaders fear that their warnings of a prolonged war of attrition between the government and the unions are coming true and they worry about the impact this will have on their patients and staff long term.

"The NHS is working hard with union representatives and others to ensure the most critical services continue to be provided and are minimising disruption, but elective procedures and check-ups are still having to be rescheduled against a backdrop of what is a very pressured time of year for the service.

"It appears that that both sides have a willingness to compromise, and it is vital that the Prime Minister takes this opportunity to find a solution in health, even whilst similar opportunities may not exist elsewhere in the public sector."