91�ȱ�

Healthcare workers at three hospitals in West Sussex and Surrey are to stage a two-day strike in a dispute over pay.

More than 350 staff at Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust will begin two days of industrial action on Tuesday.

Members of the Unison union at East Surrey Hospital in Redhill, Crawley Hospital and Horsham Hospital are demanding pay that they say reflects their role in patient care.

The trust said it had been working with staff and the union to find a resolution.

Rachel Slaughter, Unison South East regional organiser, said staff provided patient care “over and above their job description”.

“They’ve done this for years because they’re proud of the work they do. But the trust has been getting it on the cheap,” she said.

“Industrial action is a last resort, but staff reckon senior managers have buried their heads in the sand and hoped the issue would just go away. That won’t happen.”

The staff are employed on band two of their pay scale, which means they should only undertake personal care tasks such as bathing or feeding patients.

However, they regularly undertake tasks like inserting cannulas, electrocardiogram (ECG) tests and blood samples, which should be paid at the higher band three rate, the union said.

Additional strike dates have been set for 25 and 26 July.

Unison South East regional secretary Steve Torrance said this dispute was “the tip of the iceberg”.

“Dedicated professionals in the NHS must get the respect and wages they deserve,” he said.

The trust said: “While we respect their right to strike, we are disappointed that our pay offer, in line with Royal College of Nursing recommendations, has not been accepted and that this action is taking place whilst the grievance process is ongoing.

“As a trust, we value our nursing assistants and maternity support workers and the work they do every day for our patients.”

Follow 91�ȱ� Surrey on and . Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk , external or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.