The majority of biomedical scientists at the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust have voted to strike, Unite the Union has announced.

Unite told The Press that 60 members of their union, which accounts for roughly three quarters of biomedical scientist in the trust, voted for the walkout.

All but essential testing could be cancelled, Unite added. As they expect the strike to cause delays to non-urgent treatments. 

They are are to take strike action from September 30 in protest over "unsustainable workloads" that they say are putting patient safety at risk. 

Microbiologists at York Hospital and blood scientists at Scarborough & Bridlington Hospital, both part of the Trust, claimed to have "been forced to continually deal with workloads far beyond safe levels".  

Following a successful ballot, they will be taking strike action on September 30, October 7, and October 11. 

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "It is a disgrace that the York and Scarborough Trust is risking the safety of patients.

"Our members have been forced to take this action as a last resort to highlight the unsustainable workloads they are forced to undertake.

"They will have the full backing of their union in this fight not only for their own workplace conditions but to improve patient safety in Yorkshire."

In response to the strike, a spokesperson for York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We have plans in place to deal with disruption to services, and we are working closely with our staff and union representatives to ensure we continue to provide safe care for our patients during any period of industrial action.

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"We will continue to prioritise urgent samples. 

"Routine testing will, however, be impacted, and we apologise to patients who may be inconvenienced by this.

"We are planning, as far as possible, to run other pathology services as normal."

Two years ago, a biomedical laboratory was closed at Scarborough Hospital. Unite says this has led to increased pressure on other units within the trust.

A spokesperson said: "Despite continual pleas from staff for additional recruitment, training and capacity building, the trust has ignored the issue.

"Staff are now so overworked that they are concerned that patient safety is at risk."

A Unite member, working as a biomedical scientist at the trust added: "Staff have consistently been treated with contempt by the management team.

"The dehumanisation and lack of care for the team, including unprofessional threats to force staff to work outside of existing contracts and well above all reasonable expectations, has led to chronic understaffing and failure to retain trained staff. 

"The staff turnover figures speak for themselves on that front. 

"Staff have been pushed far beyond reasonable expectations and voting with their feet. The service has been led into crisis by the current microbiology leadership and the hospital and trust leadership has condoned this."