STAFF at the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital are set to strike.

They have voted to take industrial action in a row over changes to on-call policy.

The GMB union has slammed the Brighton and Sussex University Hospital NHS Trust.

Regional Organiser Gary Palmer said: “What a very clear and loud refusal this is of the Trust’s approach of batting off real staff anxieties by trying to placate very concerned GMB members through the use of empty promises and pointless rhetoric to stall matters.

“The outcome sent to the team, resulting from the Trust consultation and all the issues raised by the Paediatrics Team, is that there should be a review, and that to do so they intend to establish and begin a programme of work after April 2019 leading to that review which could then take a further 6 months to complete.

“What a load of rubbish, and how disrespectful to the hard working staff in the Paediatrics Theatre team can the Trust be if that a consultation outcome is to start a consultation.

“Heaven help the rest of those affected within the Trust as BSUH management try to press on in enforcing detrimental changes to their on-call arrangements in other areas throughout both the Royal Sussex, and Princess Royal hospitals, if this is the strength of the Trust’s arguments in wanting to make changes in the first place.

“The sooner they also consider standing together and take a similar firm position as the paediatrics theatre team have to protect the current terms and conditions the better for them if they also want to avoid endangering patient safety, face pay cuts and/or risk losing even more of their current work life balance.

“In the meantime, GMB will now sit down and discuss with members the dates from April 1on which they will be taking a range of various industrial actions against the Trust and what form they would like that action to take."

We have asked hospital management for a comment,