Nurses Strike -Do you support? What will it look like?

My niece, in her late 40’s, has been a nurse all her working life. I have no idea what her salary is, but she doesn’t think she is on bad money, and she lives in quite an expensive area.

She is married with two teenage sons, if she were a single mother, perhaps she would feel differently, I don’t know.

They certainly deserve a significant increase. I don't think they will obtain the amount they are asking for.
I did notice that our local hospitals are not being affected by the strike so it is not nationwide.

Wasn’t nursing seen as a vocation so decent salaries were never offered or expected?

I support the nurses pay claim 100%. When you think about their experiences during the height of the pandemic, that alone earns them a pay rise IMO. While many others were working from the security of home, or not working at all yet being paid (furlough), nurses were battling on the front line to save people’s lives. It’s a miracle that many of them aren’t left with mental health issues. We stood on doorsteps and clapped for them on Thursday nights - now’s the time to properly reward them for what they do!

I suspect a number of non-urgent ops will be cancelled, if there aren't enough nurses to provide aftercare.

I think it's very shortsighted to dismiss nurses' claims because the NHS's reorganisation plans rely on more nurses taking over roles currently done by doctors.

I agree with LizzieDrip and yes it will directly affect me.

I think they need to be subtle and target nurses who need it most in term if pay rises.

here is how you can find if you are affected, on the list.
news.sky.com/story/is-your-hospital-in-one-of-the-worst-affected-regions-for-nurses-strike-12742686

A newly qualified nurse earns around £27,000 and a fully experienced ward sister who has been in the post for many years is around £40,000.

It will probably affect me too because I already have three follow-up phone appointments booked for the next couple of months. The nurses are already noticeably overworked, so I guess they're going to have to play catch up. Fortunately, I don't have any issues, so I'll just send them a message on My Chart (the online system) to let them know I'm fine.

The national minimum wage is £23150, so a newly qualified nurse is earning only £4000 more than the minimum wage for an unskilled worker.
In real terms pay in the NHS for all staff has reduced since the Tories came into power, and it’s not just nurses who will be striking, it is virtually all staff. It’s the only option left to them, and I do support them.

Considering nurses now I believe have to have a degree they are dropping below the private sector salary expectations

rosie1959

Considering nurses now I believe have to have a degree they are dropping below the private sector salary expectations

And look at the comparative sort of work, Rosie!

I am supporting them too. We have to go to Addenbrookes in Cambridge on a regular basis. My DH had a double transplant there, the doctors and nurses are incredible but in the last few years the cuts have put enormous pressure on them.
They all do their best but it has become chaotic and they are rushed off their feet. They all still remain cheerful and professional.
The nurses deserve an increase in pay.

Of course they should strike. The Tories will never pay them a decent wage unless they use industrial muscle. If it takes another £47billion to put the NHS back to where it should be then Sunak and Hunt should find it. Infrastructure investment is about more than roads and other physical facilities - it's also about a staff infrastructure that underpins the NHS. If you are an affected patient tell your MP to tell the government to get on with it.

I was a nurse for 35 years and I think it's a sad day that we have come to this. Unfortunately, the idea that nursing is a vocation and doesn't expect a reward for the work that;s done is very outdated. A vocation doesn't pay the bills. Some nurses feel they have a vocation many don't. For my generation and the one before it nursing was one of the very limited options and we found we had an aptitude for the task once we got into it and past the rigorous training.
The pandemic has pushed nursing and nurses to the brink and their clearly needs to be a proper and urgent conversation with the government regarding salaries and training budgets. I would never have taken strike action but each must act according to their conscience. I hope they get a decent settlement but the current demand is unrealistic.

It struck me when I looked at the list of Trusts in the link, just what a level of bureaucracy there is in the NHS. Is it good use of money?
I am all for seeing nurses being properly paid however.

rosie1959

Considering nurses now I believe have to have a degree they are dropping below the private sector salary expectations

An honours degree is the basics... to move on and specialise you need a level 7 qualification .....my band 6 post required a PG Dip and my band 7 post required a full MSc

One issue is that for years salaries have basically stagnated. Now inflation has taken off many more people are feeling the pinch. While I don't think that nurses should strike I can clearly understand that they have been driven to this by fundamentally having a pay cut. The health services are being driven into the ground. The Mail has a map detailing what hospitals are affected.

Nursing is a profession and should be salaried appropriately, as a retired nurse I'm 100% supporting their strike.

Cabbie21

It struck me when I looked at the list of Trusts in the link, just what a level of bureaucracy there is in the NHS. Is it good use of money?
I am all for seeing nurses being properly paid however.

Are you suggesting there should be fewer trusts?

LOUISA1523

rosie1959

Considering nurses now I believe have to have a degree they are dropping below the private sector salary expectations

An honours degree is the basics... to move on and specialise you need a level 7 qualification .....my band 6 post required a PG Dip and my band 7 post required a full MSc

Over the last few months, I've noticed that specialist nurses are basically doing the work doctors used to do. I've been reading quite a few research papers and quite often the nurses have been included as part of the research teams. My breast cancer nurse is a specialist nurse and is amazingly knowledgeable - I've noticed she has an MSc. - and I bet she costs the NHS a fraction of a doctor's salary.

17.6% pay rise?! Sorry we just can’t afford that much at the moment. Even Labour don’t seem to be supporting it yet. That’s not to say they don’t deserve a pay rise. Perhaps it could be done in increments. Interesting long letter in my local paper from a retired hospital administrator who more or less advocates going back to the old HMC system and cutting the number of administrators and their salaries. He says there shouldn’t be CEO’s but secretaries who are part of the team. I’ll try and copy it if I can.

Clapping for them on our doorsteps won't pay their bills. A close relative of mine works in admin in the NHS. She said the money wasted by managers makes her blood boil.

Before we get diverted down a manager bashing route, here is the accurate information about relative costs, numbers etc.
www.kingsfund.org.uk/audio-video/key-facts-figures-nhs
To be clear, long term underfunding of the NHS is the issue not over management, that’s just a lazy political excuse for the long term neglect of the NHS by the government - it’s a deliberate political strategy.

Frankly, anyone who doesn't support them should try doing their jobs for a day! Nursing has changed out of all recognition since the days when it was seen as a vocation. Yes, there is a lot of wastage in the NHS - maybe if they sorted that out, they could afford to pay nurses what they deserve (and don't even get me started on the millions wasted on the PPE debacle during lockdown). My daughter and her fiance are both nurses - she was telling me just yesterday how short staffed their wards are, so they have to bring in agency nurses - who are paid more than three times what the normal staff get, yet aren't qualified to do the job. My daughter is assaulted on an almost daily basis by her patients - I'd like to see politicians putting up with that kind of thing.