Nhs strike

[HuffleWoof]

I'm not a nurse I'm an ODP so the RCN industrial action won't apply to me but if unison ballot for strike action I think for the first time in my career I will be striking.

Anyone else?

I support my colleagues in their strike too. It will cause chaos in theatres.

It feels crazy to even think about Striking but enough is enough

I couldn't believe the rcn is actually doing something positive though! They're usually so slow

It's definitely time for people to start pushing back.

I don't work in the NHS but would support anyone who did strike

I absolutely support strike action against this corrupt and useless government.

I won't - I moved from teaching to healthcare - and strikes have never really done anything in education other than piss everyone off. I don't think they work these days - plus my current service users have been really really impacted by the last few years and losing their services or them going to a crap online version - I'm not going to make things worse for them.

I will support anyone striking. NHS workers aren't charity workers - they have bills to pay too. We need to stop being pissed off with people striking and start supporting. There is great power in solidarity and if people start thinking about our collective needs, not just our own, more will be achieved.

I think it's just such a big move to make. We usually never do anything remotely like striking just battle on with burn out and toxic cultures. I think a pay rise would make a massive difference to the atmosphere.

I know of a band 2 hca that works in theatres that until recently when they were given accommodation at work (paid for out of their salary ) they were sleeping in their car in the staff car park because petrol was too much to drive to and from work. Band 2s get paid less than 20k and we couldn't function without them, but so many are leaving because Aldi pays more. There's no on the job training anymore so you have to quit your less than well paid job to go to uni and live on air and hope for 3 years to become anything more than band 2 clinical.

I don't blame them for choosing Aldi or Tesco

Yes they need to strike now, reductions in patient care is down to the Govt not the staff.
If they don't get far better pay, with increases in Min Wage, AHP's will be on similar money, probably already are, after paying for parking - so will leave, damaging care even further than it is already.

I am a little unclear on the impact of the strikes? You say it will cause chaos in theatres? Will people die as a result?

I completely support them. When it's actually costing people to go to work, to perform critical and essential services - it means people can't afford any longer just to take it on the chin.

Doctor.
I’m already refusing to do additional work as the rates offered are so poor and will wholeheartedly support other staff groups in industrial action.

The pay stagnation we have seen is appalling especially after the demands of the past three years.

Delivering healthcare is a skilled job for which people study long and hard and current salaries do not adequately recognise this or the appalling working conditions.

As a society we need to have a realistic discussion about what the NHS can provide. Staff are getting totally burned out trying to meet unreasonable demands by patients/the govt/ senior leaders.

I agree that teaching strikes did nothing.

The big problem in public sector is you can only strike over pay and conditions but most public sector works are concerned about the conditioners for their service users too. At least that was what the teaching striker in the 2000s were about for most teachers.

It will be the patients who suffer

I would strike if I could afford to, but I won't be paid if I do. I support strike action.

I would struggle to support action which would directly result in people dying. The system has to change, clearly. But walking out knowing people will die as a direct result is difficult for me to support. I actually thought it was illegal for certain essential workers to strike for this reason?

I work in the NHS and I doubt anybody will be going on strike. That would put patient lives at risk. And that could be you or your family or your baby !.

@Icanstillrecallourlastsummer they won't cancel emergency surgery and they'll bring agency in to fill the gap but I expect planned will be cancelled or moved to non strike days. Depends on the staffing in icu more than theatres tbh, because at the mo it's just nurses being balloted and we have odps who can scrub and do recovery

@Pyewhacket I wouldn't be so sure of that. It's all good to say what about the patients and they could be your family but if staff can't put food on the table for their family then you have to do something

As I understand it the RCN are balloting their members so the members may not vote to strike.

Many years ago they balloted the membership on "work to rule" industrial action, IIRC only 18% of members returned a ballot. When I spoke to colleagues about it they knew nothing of the proposal despite it being well publicised. I'd like to think a larger proportion of the nursing profession is more politically aware now but many may not strike because they can't afford to or they would worry about patients.

People are already dying needlessly in the NHS, its the Govt who has put peoples lives at risk.

I wouldn't bet on there being no strike action.

Ah ok, that's a bit different then.

I mean yes, something needs to change. We need the people who look after us in bad health to be motivated and rested and well themselves.

Same in higher education. All the strikes did was lose people a chunk of their salary.

I am also NHS and fully support any and all strike action. I'm a band 3 in a clinical role, just moved up from band 2 and soon to start an apprenticeship.

Due to lack of, and terrible treatment of nurses and doctors, our hospital is essentially run by band 2 HCA's and clinical assistants. Then there is the porters, clerical staff, domestics, security, estates. Hospitals do not work without these roles. I think the majority of the general public really don't realise how low paid these people are. Net take home at band 2 is £8.57 an hour. Clinical staff are expected to give life saving CPR if a patient crashes and they are barely getting a living wage. It's absolutely criminal what this government is getting away with.

And what if the staff who can't afford to heat their homes or feed their families die? It's all very hysterical to claim 'patients will die'. It's sensationalism at its finest and that's exactly the attitude this government wants you to have.

I support the strikes.

In the end patient care is getting worse and worse.

It's only by supporting the NHS, that we can expect things to even possibly begin to improve.

I fully support NHS workers (and teachers) in striking, I would assume nhs will be more a work to rule but even that will cause chaos.

something needs to change

The worry about granting significant pay increases across the board is that it makes inflation a lot worse, and there's a lot of people who can't increase their income because they're on benefits or retired/not in employment. Public sector increases come from the public purse. More taxes will have to be paid in order to fund them so really, no one will be any better off, and lots will be worse off. That's why letting inflation get out of control has been so irresponsible, and the BofE and the government still don't seem to have worked out what to do to stop it. Still, Boris appears to have had a good holiday and Stephen Bailey is still in his job, so there's that.

I completely support all nhs strikes and want a paramedic strike. The way they are treated by the government is terrible and if they all just stopped working the government would have to listen.