在英國公衛史上規模最大的護理人員罷工行動蓄勢待發
Nurses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are to go on strike from 08:00 on Thursday in the largest action of its kind in NHS history.
英格蘭、威爾斯與北愛爾蘭的護理人員將在周四早上八點起發動英國公衛史上最大規模的罷工行動。
來源：Jim Reed, BBC, 15 DEC 2022, 原文網址
Staff will continue to provide "life-preserving" and some urgent care but routine surgery and other planned treatment is likely to be disrupted.
工作人員仍將持續提供"生命救護"與一些緊急救援服務，但一般手術與其他已預訂的治療就極有可能被打亂。
The Royal College of Nursing said staff had been given no choice after ministers refused to reopen pay talks.
皇家護理行會表示同仁們在官員們拒絕重開薪資談判後已別無選擇。
The UK government said the RCN's 19% pay rise demand was unaffordable.
而英國政府聲稱負擔不起皇家護理行會要求的19%薪資漲幅。
The action will involve nurses in around a quarter of hospitals and community teams in England, all health boards in Northern Ireland and all but one in Wales. Nurses are not striking in Scotland.
在英格蘭將有約四分之一的醫院與社區醫療服務的護理人員會參與這項行動。參與的還包含北愛爾蘭所有的健康委員會、威爾斯只有一個健康委員會未參與。蘇格蘭的護理人員沒有參與罷工行動。
Under trade union laws, the RCN has to ensure life-preserving care continues during the 12-hour strike.
根據工會法，在12小時的罷工期間，皇家護理行會必須確保生命救護服務仍能持續提供。
Chemotherapy and kidney dialysis should run as normal, along with intensive and critical care, children's accident and emergency and hospital neonatal units, which look after newborn babies.
化療與洗腎服務仍照常，其他如常的還有加護病房、重症照護、孩童的意外與急診，還有照顧新生兒的單位。
Beyond that, it will be up to NHS boards and trusts to negotiate services on a local level, with discussions likely to come down to the circumstances of some individual patients.
此外，會由國民保健委員會、信託機構對各個地方保留哪些醫療服務進行協商，討論甚至會細緻到依根據個別病患的情形不同而決定。
The biggest impact is likely to be in pre-booked treatment such as hernia repair, hip replacements or outpatient clinics.
最大的影響可能是早已經預約好的門診治療，像是疝氣的治療、髖關節置換術或是一般門診。
The NHS has said it is "vital" people continue to come forward for emergency care during the strikes and anyone not contacted to reschedule an appointment should attend as planned.
國民保健署已表示在罷工期間，人們還能為急救服務挺身而出是至關重要的。任何沒有因此重新調整預約的治療仍應如常進行。
"Nurses have had enough - we are underpaid and undervalued," nurse anaesthetist and local RCN steward Lyndsay Thompson, from Northern Ireland, says.
"護理人員已經受夠了 - 我們薪資低又不受重視。"來自北愛爾蘭當地皇家護理行會的幹部，麻醉護理師琳希湯普森這麼說。
"Yes, this is a pay dispute but it's also very much about patient safety.
"對，這就是薪資爭議，但這也跟病患的安全非常有關。"
"The fact we cannot recruit enough nurses means patient safety is being put at risk."
"這代表我們不能招募到足夠的護理人員，也就意味著病患的安全會有風險。"
Ms Thompson, who has worked as a registered nurse for 12 years, says her colleagues "absolutely do not want to strike" but feel the need to take action "to protect the NHS" after a period of below-inflation pay rises.
湯普森女士作為註冊的護理師已經12年了，她說她的同事"一點都不想罷工"，但已經有一段時間薪資漲幅都跟不上通膨，所以感到必須出來做點什麼"來保護國家公衛制度"。
"We just feel we have no other option, because the government is not listening to us," she says.
她說："我們只是感覺到別無選擇了，因為政府根本就不聽我們的話。"
The RCN balloted more than 300,000 nurses across individual NHS trusts and boards rather than in a single, national vote.
皇家護理行會在個別的國民保健信託機構與委員會中對超過三十萬護理人員進行投票，而不是舉辦一場單一的全國性表決。
This means some nurses are not entitled to take industrial action, because the turnout in their local area was too low.
這意味著有些護理人員可能沒有資格採取罷工行動，只不過是因為他們所在的區域投票率太低。
In England, the first round of strikes will go ahead in 51 of 219 hospitals, mental-health trusts and community services.
在英格蘭，第一輪的罷工會在總數219間醫院的其中51間、心理健康信託機構與社區健康服務中展開。
Strikes are also going ahead in all of Northern Ireland's health boards and all but one in Wales, the Aneurin Bevan.
參與罷工行動的還包含北愛爾蘭所有的健康委員會、威爾斯只有一個健康委員會未參與。那就是安奈林貝文大學健康委員會。
Most GP services will be unaffected, as nurses working directly for practices were not entitled to take part in the vote, but the strike will include district nurses working in people's homes or community settings.
由於直接在家庭醫生處服務的護理人員沒有罷工投票的資格，所以大多數家庭醫生的服務不受影響，但是在一般家中或社區環境中的地區護理人員則會參與罷工。
A second day of strike action will go ahead on 20 December, unless there is a breakthrough in talks.
如果談判沒有進展的話，第二波的罷工行動將會在12月20日展開。
How will patients be affected?
病患會如何受到影響？
- People who are seriously ill or injured, and whose life is at risk, should call 999 as usual, or call 111 for non-urgent care
- Other services, such as some cancer treatments, mental health services or urgent testing, may be partially staffed
- More routine care is likely to be badly affected, including planned operations such as knee and hip replacements, community nursing services and health visiting
- Official advice is that anyone with an appointment which hasn't already been rearranged should turn up at their allotted time
- GPs, community pharmacies and dentists will not be affected
- 重病或重傷患者、命危的人，仍應如常打999，較不緊急的情況則打111
- 其他服務像是一些癌症診療、心理衛生服務或緊急測試的人力會有部份影響
- 更為日常的照護服務可能會受到最大衝其，包含預約好的手術像是膝蓋與髖關節置換術、社區的照護服務與健康到府訪視
- 官方的建議是如果已經預約了還沒有改期的，就依約出現
- 全科醫生、社區藥局與牙醫不受影響
In England and Wales, most NHS staff have already received a pay rise of roughly £1,400 this year - worth about 4% on average for nurses.
在英格蘭與威爾斯大多受雇於國民健康署的雇員的薪水在今年已經獲得了大約1400英鎊的調昇 - 對護理人員大約是4%的平均薪資調幅。
The political situation in Northern Ireland meant there was a delay in processing the increase - but nurses should receive backdated payments before the end of the year.
而北愛爾蘭的政治情勢使的加薪時程有所延遲 - 但護理人員在年底前應該還是可以收到後補的應收金額。
The RCN wants a larger rise, of 5% above the RPI inflation rate, which currently stands at 14%, saying its members have received years of below-inflation pay increases.
而皇家護理行會要的是更大幅度的調漲，要超過零售價格指數通膨率5%，而目前的這項指數是14%，理由是他們的成員長年以來的薪資調漲幅度老是低於通膨。
England's Health Secretary, Steve Barclay, said further pay rises would mean taking money away from other front-line services.
英格蘭的健康部長史蒂夫巴克萊，他說還要再加薪不啻是把錢從其他刀口上拿走。
"I've been working across government and with medics outside the public sector to ensure safe staffing levels - but I do remain concerned about the risk that strikes pose to patients," he said.
他說："我一直致力於協調政府與公家機關外的醫護人員，以確保人力配置處於安全水位 - 但我仍很擔心罷工對病患造成的風險。"
Mr Barclay added that the government had followed the recommendation of the independent NHS Pay Review Body, which said in July NHS staff should receive the £1,400 increase, with slightly more for the most experienced nurses.
巴克萊先生還說政府都已經照獨立的公衛薪資審查組織的建議做了，這個組織說在七月份公衛從業人員應該收到了1400元的加薪，大多資深的護理人員收到的還略多於此數。
The body, made up mainly of economists and human-resources (HR) professionals, had been asked to base that recommendation on a range of factors, including:
該組織主要是由經濟學家與人力資源專家所組成，他們被要求根據一些因素提供薪資建議，包含：
- the need to recruit staff
- the funds available to the NHS
- the government's 2% inflation target
- 人員招募的需求
- 國家公衛體系本身的資金量
- 政府要把通膨設定在2%的目標
Welsh ministers said they were unable to enter pay talks without extra funding from the UK government.
威爾斯的閣員們表示，沒有來自英國政府的額外資金挹注他們是沒有辦法再進行薪資談判的。
In Scotland, the RCN's strike action has been "paused", after ministers made a fresh offer worth just over £2,200 a year for most NHS staff. Nurses have been asked to vote on that deal, with results due next week.
在蘇格蘭，在閣員們提出了一個新的、對大多公衛從業人員的價值達到一年加薪2200元的調漲方案後，皇家護理行會的罷工行動被"暫停"。護理人員先對該方案進行投票，結果將於下週出爐。
David was meant to have a pacemaker fitted on Thursday at a hospital in Wales.
大衛本應在週四於威爾斯的一家醫院安裝心律調節器。
Since he had major heart surgery five years ago, his NHS treatment has been "second to none", he says.
自從他在五年前動了心臟的大手術，他說他受到來自國民健康體系提供的治療是舉世無匹的。
But being called and told Thursday's procedure had been postponed has left him "frustrated and disappointed" - and he has not yet been given a new date.
但他被通知說週四的作業會被延遲後，這讓他覺的沮喪與失望。而且新的時間並未確定。
"If you're [working] in a profession where lives are at risk, I feel [it is] wrong to strike," David says.
大衛說："如果你任職的工作是性命攸關的，我覺得罷工是不對的。"
"Particularly at Christmas and when other people are striking as well, it's not a good time."
特別是在耶誕節還有其他人也跟著在罷工，這實在不是個好時機。
Union bosses have offered to suspend strikes if the UK government agrees to reopen serious discussions over pay.
工會的頭兒們本有提出要是英國政府願意重起薪資談判，他們可以暫停罷工。
But a face-to-face meeting earlier this week broke down, with the RCN accusing Mr Barclay of "belligerence" and having "too little to say".
但是本週早先的面對面會談破裂後，皇家護理行會指控巴克萊先生"愛挑釁"，而且"實在已經無話可說"。
This will be only the second time RCN members have walked out in its 106-year history. Until 1995, the union had a formal no-strike policy in its rulebook.
這僅僅只是皇家護理行會成員們106年歷史以來進行的第二次大罷工，一直到1995年，該行會在規章內還有著不罷工的原則。
In 2019, nurses in Northern Ireland went on strike over pay. And in 2014, those in England who were members of Unison walked out - also over pay.
在2019年，北愛爾蘭的護理師也因薪資問題發動罷工。而2014年換成是英格蘭的護理師也一樣是因為薪資問題進行罷工。
This winter, a number of other major health unions, including Unison, the GMB, Unite the Union and the Royal College of Midwives, have also voted to strike in different parts of the UK, with a series of walkouts planned over Christmas and the new year.
這個冬天，有好幾組主要的健康醫療體系的公會，包含Unison, GMB, 團結聯盟、皇家助產士行會等也都在英國的不同地區發動罷工投票，在耶誕節與新年期間恐有一系列的罷工行動正在醞釀著。
註釋：
Royal College of Nursing: 皇家護理行會，英國護理人員的工會組織
health board: 健康委員會，NHS的下屬部門，負責規劃與推動地方衛生工作
Chemotherapy: 化療
kidney dialysis: 血液透析，就是洗腎
neonatal: 新生兒
hernia: 疝氣
outpatient clinics: 門診
industrial action: 工業行動，就是罷工的意思
GP Service: general practioner, 家庭醫生、全科醫生。與台灣不同，國外一般先由此類型醫生做綜合診斷才會轉介至專科醫生
RPI: 零售價格指數，為衡量通貨膨脹的指標，較為貼近一般人民生活情況
pacemaker: 心律調節器
belligerence: 好鬥、愛挑釁的
Unison: 有著超過130萬會員的大型公會
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