Do the general public know how bad the conditions in the NHS are?

[Gakatsbsk]

Hello

Expecting to be roasted.

However, I’m an NHS staff nurse. Qualified almost 2 years. I’ve worked through the pandemic. I initially worked in England and now work in a different UK nation - which is better but only because England was so poor.

My union is about to start a consultative ballot for industrial action in light of the nhs pay offer. I have had two family ‘acquaintances’ (who do not work or have immediate family that work for the nhs) complain in one breath about delayed appointments, delayed A+E waiting times, cancelled surgeries etc but then in another tell me that nurses going on strike is disgusting, lucky to have a job, NHS more secure employment etc. These are of course English Tory voters who said this

For reference, I have never and will never cross a picket line and will be voting in favour of industrial action (whatever form that takes due to emergency cover staffing etc).

When I was a few weeks qualified as a nurse I was looking after double the safe ratio of patients in my speciality. Completely unsupported, me and my (equally junior) colleagues having to consult google for solutions to our patients problem, if a medical emergency occurred (in ICU there should always be medical cover - this isn’t the case) we had to pull a buzzer, put out a page and get on with it until a medic appeared. This has not improved post pandemic.

In my current workplace (same speciality area), different country we are the only part of the hospital that is safe staffed, because of this every single day nurses and HCAs are sent to general wards, A+E and different hospitals often to be the only RN on a ward for 30 patients. There is such a crisis of care home beds, and ward beds that patients are staying in critical Care for weeks waiting on a ward bed. On the wards patients aren’t able to be washed each day as there might only be 1-3 staff members for 30-40 patients, meds rounds take 4 hours and ultimately patients who are sick go unnoticed until they are peri arrest. Nurses from day shift often have to stay on to night shift as there is no night shift nurse available.

I have only had negatives from the general public - it’s our fault for having degrees and being too posh to wash, bring the matrons back, etc etc. our colleagues who trained in the 80s and 90s pre degree say it is the worst it has ever been for safety and staffing. Racism and xenophobia towards our brilliant overseas colleagues is rife when they keep the NHS clinging on by a shoestring.

Four and a half years ago I was a first year student nurse and times were hard for the NHS, it has only got worse and worse for my patients since then. For the sake of my patients I will take industrial action.

However, it is so concerning how anti union, anti public sector and pro Tory the English public seem to have become? The decisions and government of Westminster negatively affect every nhs patient and worker in the UK. Just look at the widespread abuse, disdain and disgust directed at the RMT workers recently. I fear the same or worse for NHS workers.

So, is this NHS worker wrong for not enjoying being told to be grateful to work for the NHS? Is there any future for the public sector of the UK?

I apologise if I seem to have generalised England but I am English and from a northern Tory heartland. An area completely brainwashed.

@SummerPuddings

thanks ♥️

I don’t know. Ultimately I left England and won’t return as long as the Tory government stays in power. My once proud industrial, trade unionist home county is a Tory heartland and very divided. I can only argue with people who despise the public sector and it’s workers for so long.

@Wrongkindofovercoat

❤

I agree with all you've said, and would like to add that community services are hit just as badly as hospitals.

The vast majority of nhs contacts are done out side of hospitals, but with a fraction of the funding of hospital care and an ever growing demand. I see it every day - people end up in hospital because we don't have the community infrastructure to support people to stay at home safely.

If community health services were properly resourced, a lot of hospital admissions could be avoided. In the community, nurses (and carers) are leaving in droves too because the pressure is immense and the cost of fuel is such a pressure, staff are struggling to pay for the fuel to drive around (mileage is paid, but in arrears, a month later).

And what someone said about staff being "desensitised" - that is sadly a coping mechanism. We are expecting all staff to provide high quality care in all settings, while they are not valued. There is lots of lip-service for staff well-being, but nothing devalues that more than not being able to take 20 minutes to breathe and have a drink because you need to keep patients safe.. and let's face it, a lot of the care is barely safe, never mind high quality.

I know of two nurses who have quit due to the bullying from senior staff, both have gone to work in private healthcare & say it is night & day compared to the NHS. I support anyone striking in the current climate.

@Badnewsoracle
100%

safe staffing for my unit is 8 RN’s and 1 HCA. We rarely have 5 a shift. If we have 5 or more nurses someone gets moved. Our HCAs get moved nearly every shift.

If there’s a cardiac arrest on a ward or a major trauma we don’t have enough nurses to care for these patients.

Posts rarely get filled. And the job is a skilled one which takes 1-2 years of training and studying to be fully competent

As a lefty Londoner, brought up by trade unionists, it's deeply shocking to me that our former red wall can vote blue.

@Iliketeaagain

my best friend is a district nurse. I know that they are as equally poorly staffed and facing the same dreadful conditions. I never meant to sound like I was saying otherwise. Part of the solution is the community but with significantly more funding and resources. I 100% agree.

As a medic, I am 100% with nurses striking. I graduated 11 years ago and have been on a RT pay cut ever since. The last time doctors went on strike I didn't join as I felt bad. All of us have had enough. Most have worked all the way through COVID with minimal protection at the beginning and massively short staffed wards and people are fed up and burnt out. Add in the number of patients who died every day in hospital (deaths either directly or indirectly related to COVID) and it's just too much for most of us. You shouldn't feel bad - you do a job and you expect to be paid for it. It's difficult for the public to understand how bad the situation was and is unless they are in the thick of it. I understand the BMA will soon be balloting members about strike action in 2023

@SummerPuddings

More than half of my life has been under a Tory government. I come from an area with the ‘lesbian capital’ of the north. Our MP voted against same sex marriage and is a homophobic pig. As a gay northerner and nurse I was driven out. When parts of South and East Yorkshire and the North East fell to the Tories at the last election I gave up on England tbh.

I work in a specialist area of mental health and I am lucky in that I adore my job. That said I still worked until 8pm today (should have finished at 5.30) and I worked all afternoon on Monday (which was my day off). I won't get paid for that time but I couldn't fit in all my documentation / admin otherwise. I almost never have a lunch break and I count this job as low stress! (Mostly since I don't get assaulted and am at very low risk of ending up in coroners court which aren't uncommon in other areas)

The RCN put out a consultation on strikes a while ago and their options were "strike" "nothing" or "action short of strike - which could include taking breaks and leaving / arriving on time". I think it says something when not working for free (showing up early, finishing late and working through unpaid breaks) is considered industrial action.

Wth regards to the shifts that nurses work. Didn't you vote for 2x12 hour shifts?
It used to be 3 x 8 hour shifts. I don't know when that system ended, but it was a lot less tiring than the present system.

How do staff in a critical care unit strike?
My DD is keeping children and babies alive- many are s intubated in a serious state.
How would a strike work?
Walking out on a patient who needs resucitation?

However, it is so concerning how anti union, anti public sector and pro Tory the English public seem to have become?

Rupert Murdoch and the Daily Mail have brainwashed the public. Or at least the generations that still read their poison.

It's all a mess and needs to be funded better.

Pay-wise though, I've seen a lot of pretty okay salaries, more than I earn yet it's a 'poverty wage'? It maybe depends on where you live? Or what you call poverty?

Average nurses salary is £33-35k. My friends who are nurses earn £50k+.

That does go in the same bracket as rail workers for me, sorry. Well paid jobs.

My father just spent 24 hours in A&E waiting for a bed. I watched the ambulance trolleys stack up in the corridors, the nurses and doctors run ragged. Saw the length of the shifts. I understand. Support you. I’ve unfortunately been to A&E several times over the past seven years or so (and consequently sat in various wards with sick relatives). Every time I go back I’m scared at the changes and how much the NHS is struggling.

"The RCN put out a consultation on strikes a while ago and their options were "strike" "nothing" or "action short of strike - which could include taking breaks and leaving / arriving on time". I think it says something when not working for free (showing up early, finishing late and working through unpaid breaks) is considered industrial action."

There wouldn't even need to be a picket line. If staff started when they should and left on time at the end of their shift, and didn't do any bank shifts on their days off, it would cause havoc by the end of the first shift. the NHS runs on free overtime and staff feeling sorry for their colleagues so volunteering to work on days off and annual leave.

I support you 100%. The British public has had its collective brain rotted by Murdoch's propaganda and pathetic jealousy and vindictiveness towards anyone else getting something they don't have.

@ozymandiusking

I dint know about a vote.

12.5 hour shifts were brought in with the EWTD which stated that there had to be12 hours between the end of 1 shift and the start of another.

Which meant that the previous early/late/night rotas weren't doable.

There are arguments against them. Mistakes rise towards the ends of shifts. There are periods in the day that are considered to be 'overstaffed'

But they suit lots of people with families

I've seen brilliant things happen in the nhs but I've also seen dreadful care given by medical staff - nothing to do with staff shortages. In fact the poor care and mngt of wards has actually ended up creating extra work.

In my experience, no they do not. I used to vote Tory, but I stopped after listening to my teacher and medic friends, and Brexit. I can't imagine ever voting for them again and regret doing so in the past.

I have tried to tell some other Tory voters I know what my teacher and medic friends have told me, but it doesn't seem to make much impact.

I don't understand why they aren't doing all they can to make these professions as easy and desirable to train in (and stay in) as possible. (also other crucial jobs eg care home workers etc etc).

@oldageprancer

Well paid in comparisons to someone working in asda?

Sure.

For the work? No.

I completely support you and the need for NHS strikes. I feel the same about the rail workers and barristers.

I think a lot of people blindly read the Daily Mail and swallow the lies that the Tory party want them to believe.

I hope people are as supportive of other professions striking because that is coming soon. I wonder how many people realise how awful things are in schools, or do they not care as long as childcare is provided? I was told a few years back that it was fine for teachers to strike, but they should be forced to do it in the summer holidays so it wouldn’t inconvenience anyone…

Yup. You know there were not like that and they are like crushed by the system. It's heart breaking really.

@oldageprancer - thanks for that. I’m going to contact payroll right away. 41 years nursing, 37 as a qualified nurse and I’m on £13.47 per hour. Obviously they’ve got my pay wrong….

@spinfit

Thanks so much.

I’d support all nhs colleagues in strike action. I work closely with brilliant medics every day who go above and beyond. The conditions they face intolerable.

x