Nurses Strike

[TartanGirl1]

Do you agree with the nurses strike?

Have been a nurse for many years and it us a 100% yes from me ...long overdue IMHO !

Patients are going to suffer and possibly die and you say it’s long overdue ?. Wow !.

I can understand your concerns but it's also important to know that healthcare staff are also patients and have relatives and friends who are patients too. They wouldn't be striking if they genuinely believed there would be a big risk to the public and to themselves and their own family and friends. The wards and emergency care won't be understaffed (beyond usual amounts that is). The impact will come through cancelling non-urgent operations and outpatient clinics as though it is a weekend. This will unfortunately affect patients and will be frustrating for them but equally the current delays in NHS care aren't because of health care staff it is because of a lack of healthcare staff which is as a result of the government. They could engage with nursing unions and address these problems but are refusing to do so. Striking is the last resort. Otherwise we will lose more nurses which will be even worse for patients.

More than 27000 nurses quit the NHS last year. The options are that you lose the nurses for a few striking days or you lose them forever.

Nurses and midwives*

I fully support it.
I'm not a nurse, I'm a paramedic and we have also been balloted for full strike or strike action (work to rule, which in the ambulance service would probably be more effective)
The narrative from the Government is infuriating.
I read a statement yesterday that said with strike action people will die.

People are already fucking dying due to chronic underfunding because unrealistic targets are not met.
Delayed at hospital? They fine the hospital and the ambulance service for something that is way beyond our control but all completely in theirs.
Listen to those with boots on the ground and bring back step down facilities like cottage hospitals, fund proper social care packages than the half arsed attempts we see daily causing repeat re admissions.

So yes I support my NHS colleagues, we are all in this sinking ship together 💙

Yes. I cannot see why nurses would be striking for the fun of it so I assume that their reasoning is sound and just.

The underfunding of the NHS is intentional. It is why the government do not publish their workforce planning data to the public. The healthcare system is bound to be privatised in 20 years. I just wish that healthcare staff and patients didn't have to suffer while the government burn the NHS to the ground.

Why no? I have been a nurse for 23 years and it's absolutely a yes from me.

no

Yes.

To me, this isn't really about nurses pay. It's about drawing awareness to the absolute state and description of the NHS. It needs a National conversation.

The degree of ignorance from the public who think 'people will die' is staggering. People are getting appalling care in hospital, they are waiting hours and dying NOW. I can't not believe the public are so ignorant to the realities of what will happen to them if they are their loved ones turn up at a hospital. If nothing is done, it will get worse. There was a shift here yesterday with no trained nurses. Only a band 4 AP and HCAs 🤷‍♀️

I really struggle to understand how people think they will be treated in the NHS in years to come - does everyone just plan to pay to go private?

Destruction not description!

NHS AHP here - I absolutely support my nursing colleagues.
I returned to the NHS (from a dreadfully underfunded social care) in the summer. It’s frightening. I worry for my patients and that any of my family or friends should fall ill.

@orangeenergy exactly. I work in A&E and it's bloody frightening right now. I triage a critically ill patient who really needs to be in resus and I literally have no where to put them and we are over full already, half of our department is a ward as there are no beds in the hospital.

This doesn't just happen occasionally like it use to. It will be several patients a shift. The guilt you have looking at these people when you cannot provide the care they need right now. So regardless of a strike people are dying right now that should not be because of the state of the NHS.

Retired nurse. Absolutely 100% and it delights me the level of support they're getting

I think I agree with this.

I don’t think nurses pay sounds horribly low. The absolute bottom is £20k and on my NHS jobs page the only job I found on that scale also offered Saturday working at £15 per hour and Sunday at £19 paper hour. A Level 5 is £27K and t Levels 9 is £95k

What I do appreciate is that nurses probably have a fucktard of responsibility, stress and additional burdens with their role. Also I’m concerned about 12 hour shifts. Apparently some nurses like them because it means you only need to work 3 days a week but I think that’s too long surely?

They deserve a pay rise but not 17%.

Does anyone know if the 17% being requested is in addition to the pay award already made, or does it replace it? So, the average already awarded was circa 4.5% (more for the low paid, less for the high), so for this year a 12.5% addition, or a 21.5%?

Where have you nursed? If it's been on the busy wards all that time surely you can see how overwhelmed, overworked and demoralised so many of our staff are ?

I sort of agree. They aren't badly paid though, I had a look at the figures and they get about £35k pa for 37.5 hours a week, if what I've read is right, plus pension, plus sick, plus extra for nights? I don't believe they are treated well, I think they are overworked and under resourced, but not sure about underpaid.

Surely better management of the NHS will make a nurse’s job easier rather than a pay rise? Are any of the nurses willing to post their basic salary, grade and hours on here?

Spot on 👏 You have articulated my thoughts exactly.
I've been a nurse for 24 years. It's devastating to see what's happening to our health services and yes, patients are suffering and dying now because of huge underfunding and lack of investment into the work force. I don't just support a nurses strike, I support the unison strike for all NHS workers, especially those who do such vital work for society and keep the hospitals and care homes running. Everyone who works in the public sector deserves to make a living wage, to feel valued for the work they do.
This government have no mercy when it comes to the NHS. Look how they have awarded themselves pay rises each year and continue to ask the tax payer to cover their expenses. Expenses the rest of us have to pay out of our own wages. Are they more worthy than all the rest of us?
Time to make our voices heard.

I think really all the bands need to move up.

I also think more money would help retain more nurses which would then improve working conditions as there would be more staff.

absolutely yes.