Home / Health / NHS Staff Strike Over Overtime Pay Cuts
NHS Staff Strike Over Overtime Pay Cuts
7 Jul
Summary
- Operating theatre staff began a walkout on Monday, ending Thursday.
- Unison states staff pay was cut for working extra hours.
- Trust cites fairness, consistency, and national alignment for changes.
Operating theatre staff at Bedford Hospital and Luton and Dunstable University Hospital commenced a strike action on Monday, July 7, 2026, which is scheduled to end on Thursday, July 10, 2026. This industrial action is part of a dispute over overtime pay.
Trade union Unison is leading the protest, asserting that assistants, operating department practitioners, and other theatre staff have experienced pay reductions for their extra hours. Unison is demanding that these pay cuts be reversed.
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust acknowledged the situation, expressing regret for the distress caused to staff by recent modifications to overtime and additional hours payments. A trust spokesperson explained that these changes were implemented earlier in 2026 following extensive consultations.
