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

Inflation has been very low though for most of those years, Whitewavemark2.

I think Nurses and Drs, particularly at the lower end of the scale should have a triple lock plan with an agreement not to strike over pay.

The failure of the Tory government to ensure that salaries kept up reasonably with inflation over their 12 year tenure - many have had no pay rise since the Tories took office - meant that the pressure has built up and up and the dam is finally bursting.

It was inevitable.

Very short sighted in the governments part.

Badly managed.

(Kim - a hospital nurse wouldn't necessarily know the details I've just revealed above on funding and referral patterns - its because I was a governor, asked awkward questions, and detailed conversation with a GP I know: they are in the thick of it and she is in addition on the political side and knows the background.)

Kim19

My family member who is a nurse tells me that Trusts are far more competitive than supportive of each other. I find that both disappointing and worrying.

kim19

They have been set against each other in trying to bid for very limited resources. Is it surprising?

It also means they try to meet "performance" targets which in practice means discharging patients before they are necessarily ready, for its NEW referrals that bring the cash in.

This was all very well when there were adequate resources, but nowadays if a patient is discharged and then has to be -re-referred it means a long wait for that referral, including of course managing to get to see a GP for that referral.

growstuff

Wyllow I don't see that amalgamating trusts would reduce the need for management either.

It's complicating it, growstuff, tbh. In an ideal world its a good idea, but all it means is time taken away from organising decent patient care.

As with the rail strike it isn’t just about money. It’s as much about working conditions and patient safety. And, yes, I do support them. A friend of my daughters, the most committed, dedicated nurse you could imagine has left the NHS. When things like that happen you know there’s a problem.

Kalu

growstuff

The Nightingale Pledge has been discussed before on GN. I've also asked my sisters (both retired nurses) about it. It's not routinely used in the UK. Are you American?

Not American. We were never required to recite or take the Nightingale Pledge here in the UK however, it was often referenced by tutors during training as an example of our duty of care upheld worldwide.

Thanks for answering. It's rarely used outside the United States.

Whilst not in favour of strike action that could impact badly on lives, I do understand that nurses have been driven to this point. They are highly valued but grossly underpaid.
My hope is that a reasonable settlement can be made in good time with a locked in guarantee of inflation proof annual rises.
I just hope this government gives thought to our emergency services across the board.

(*and don't even get me started on the millions wasted on the PPE debacle during lockdown*).

Billions. 36.3 Billion pounds "squandered" due to fraud and wastage, New Statesman 27.04.22 publication. Overpriced and faulty PPE (I've read elsewhere it's estimated at 18 Billion wasted), fraudulent claims on the Government schemes set up.

I support the Nurses 100% and if they aren't being taken seriously by those who make the decisions on such things, then what alternative is left open to them? Ward Nurses, ER nurses, they work unsociable hours. Covid 19 must have been so demoralising, the stress and strains ... I know I'm not the only person here thinking this Government are running the NHS down to breaking point in order to bring the "solution" of private healthcare into force.

Just a small observation of my own, I attended my Rheumatology clinic last week (appointment every 6 months); woman came in with donut and coffee. Five minutes later Clinic Nurse asked her to come and be weighed, the usual checks. Woman said "Can I have my donut first"? Nurse said - it means you're probably going to have to wait until I'm free again .... Deep irritated sigh from donut woman, rolling her eyes at the Clinic Nurse ...
Same clinic, few minutes later, same Clinic Nurse was asked by another patient - a very nicely dressed lady in her 70's - how much longer she'd have to wait. Clinic Nurse went to check with the Doctor, told her there were two people in front of her. Well, did she kick off, out of her seat, over to the Reception desk, raising her voice about how ridiculous it all was, fussed about, pointing fingers, just falling short of stamping her feet ... Got seen next - in front of me! (my appointment was 11.10am, got seen at 11.50am). She gave both the Reception and Clinic Nurse another piece of her mind when she left, saying something rude under her breath as she walked out (but was Oh So Lovely to the Doctor -).

Kim19

My family member who is a nurse tells me that Trusts are far more competitive than supportive of each other. I find that both disappointing and worrying.

Isn't that because the tories have tried to shape the NHS on a 'business units' model, with Trusts competing for resources?

I am very much in support of nurses. They have gone above and beyond in recent years and they should not be having to use food banks. On a rather more selfish note I hope my hospital appointments are not affected.

My family member who is a nurse tells me that Trusts are far more competitive than supportive of each other. I find that both disappointing and worrying.

growstuff

The Nightingale Pledge has been discussed before on GN. I've also asked my sisters (both retired nurses) about it. It's not routinely used in the UK. Are you American?

Not American. We were never required to recite or take the Nightingale Pledge here in the UK however, it was often referenced by tutors during training as an example of our duty of care upheld worldwide.

I don't think they should need to strike and I find it difficult to support at this present moment in time but can understand that this is probably also an optimal time. I would like to see medical staff on a salary which is protected from inflation but in return they lose their right to strike. I would also like to see the Budget given to the NHS divided and earmarked for clinicians with a maximum percentage of the budget spent of admin. This should be further broken down to limit the amount of money spent on media staff and inclusion staff. With the best will in the world, we need more clinicians and less admin.

The moral viewpoint, do nurses “deserve” a pay rise doesn’t really come into it. Pay doesn’t operate on moral goodness.

The bottom line in any job that employers want doing is

Are there enough people able and wanting to do the job, at the current pay and conditions, to meet the need.

If the answers no then either pay or conditions (or both) are wrong and need to be changed or the employer can’t function.

Or, of course, the other alternative is to just do away with the job 🤔☹️

LittleDot

I feel there are so many worthwhile professions out there, from police to supermarket workers, to teachers, etc.; surely they realise that at the moment, due to furlough (which not everyone got) and the huge issues the country faces financially, they should suck it up and get on with the job for now. The time for prosperity is a good few years away. (Unfortunately).

Furlough has nothing to do with it. It's just being used as an excuse to prevent wage increases and cut services.

Investing some money in our public services (all of them, because they're all underfunded) would go a long way to improving our economy.

Not sure where these figures are from Blondiescot - I am an agency nurse with 40 years experience working throughout pandemic in NHS hospitals for approx £17 hour weekday( band 5) - from this I have to pay parking, uniform, mandatory training, yearlyDBS check etc . Are NHS nurses only paid £6 an hour if we are paid 3 X more ???

I used to work in a hospital in a non nursing role. I got to know a lot of the staff including the head of the nurses school. There was talk then of how little nurses were paid. She told me that nursing was a vocation and if people wanted more money we would get the wrong type of nurse, ones who were only in it for the money.

Maybe they could use the £350m a week we are saving by leaving the EU😂

There are also other ways they could help nurses and healthcare staff. Don't they have to pay for parking, and also get charged if they overrun (which might be due to being late leaving their shift). I believe some of them are struggling due to parking charges and parking fines. That is disgusting, they should have free parking at all times. A hospital should not charge its workers to park because it could not function without its staff. In effect nurses and others are being paid less than their salary because they cannot enter the hospital without first coughing up for parking!

I agree that Nurses need a pay rise and their working conditions looked into.

I am not a fan of strikes by anyone, I doubt if anyone is happy with their procedures being cancelled/delayed however, I do not know what the alternative is.

I feel there are so many worthwhile professions out there, from police to supermarket workers, to teachers, etc.; surely they realise that at the moment, due to furlough (which not everyone got) and the huge issues the country faces financially, they should suck it up and get on with the job for now. The time for prosperity is a good few years away. (Unfortunately).

Of course they should strike. And I'd like to see Labour MPs standing with them on the picket lines. Some Labour MPs stood with the striking rail workers. I hope even more will join the nurses.

Wyllow I don't see that amalgamating trusts would reduce the need for management either.

fullfact.org/health/nurses-industrial-action-nightingale-pledge/