Intensive care nurses in strike threat over Doncaster hospital transfer plans

ICU nurses at Worksop’s Bassetlaw Hospital fear the switch could lead to Bassetlaw ICU shutting through “decommissioning by stealth,” according to union, Unite.

They say they will transferred for at least two months a year, with the possibility of it being increased to four.

Unite says Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has threatened to fire and rehire the nurses on new contracts stipulating they must work part-time in Doncaster if they refuse to transfer voluntarily.

The proposals have already led to four members of staff leaving Bassetlaw ICU for other units, the union says.

A spokesperson said: “The nurses fear the transfers are one more step towards Bassetlaw Hospital losing its ICU permanently through “decommissioning by stealth.”

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “An NHS Trust should not even be thinking of firing and rehiring staff – it is an abhorrent practice that should be banned outright.

“The trust’s threats have simply strengthened nurses' resolve to stop Bassetlaw’s residents being deprived of a critically important resource. They have Unite’s full support in taking strike action.”

Unite refutes claims by trust management that nurses are at risk of being deskilled because of a lack of exposure to level three patients (those who are ventilated or have multiple organ failure).

The trust’s own data shows that there has not been a downward trend, and that per capita, nurses at Bassetlaw have a similar or higher exposure to level three patients than nurses at Doncaster.

Unite regional officer Chris Rawlinson said: “The plan is entirely unreasonable. They add at least an hour and half commute for those who drive and three hours for those who use public transport.

“This is on top of the 13 hour shifts the nurses already work – risking burnout for them and needlessly endangering patient safety due to staff exhaustion.

“This is a clear attempt at decommissioning by stealth – with the real risk that Bassetlaw patients in urgent need of an ICU will end up having to travel 20 miles to Doncaster to get to one.

"The trust must row back.”

Dates for strike action will be scheduled in the coming weeks if the dispute is not resolved.

Karen Jessop, Chief Nurse at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals, said: “We understand that change is difficult, however this is about doing the right thing for our patients and securing the future of critical services locally.

"The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Bassetlaw Hospital sees fewer critically ill patients than Doncaster Royal Infirmary, meaning clinicians at the latter manage more complex cases daily.

"By rotating our ICU clinicians across both sites, we ensure they maintain the skills and experience needed to provide safe, high-quality care - wherever it’s needed.

“Patients deserve the very best, and their loved ones should have confidence that we can respond to any situation, no matter how complex. With these changes, we can ensure services remain safe, sustainable, and effective for years to come.”