First of all, sorry for this.
Just a quick note to give you some perspective.
I work in a medium security forensic mental health unit.
I'm 53 and it's the best job I've ever had. I just like looking after people.
The money has little to do with it.
I love my job.
I've been back on the ward for four months after a year at Uni. It's changed.
We don't have enough nurses to staff the wards. We work 12 hour shifts without a break. Staffing is so bad I often have to stay for a few hours. With commuting I rarely get six hours sleep between shifts.
Our patients can be violent and it's only our experience that keeps everyone safe.
Agency nurses don't have that experience. Our patients and all our staff are at risk. We have had several staff injured so badly they will never return in the past 8 weeks - broken limbs, eye sockets, knees, cheekbones, even brain injuries. This would not have happened with experienced staff.
In the last few weeks I have seen consultants, HCAs (The very best of us, minimum wage, front line staff) and hardened Ward Managers break down. Covid, we coped with that. But the lack of staffing is killing us. Seven of my colleagues resigned last week, because they couldn't cope with not being able to keep their patients and themselves safe.
Please, I'm begging you, don't believe the media stories regarding militancy.
We just want to be able to help.
Thanks for listening.
Please, I’m begging you, don’t believe the [s]media[/s] Tory gov stories regarding militancy.
we don't.....
Tbh I'm amazed you've all put up with it this long. You all have my full support fwiw. Take care.
Doctors tried to highlight the situation in 2015 but the nation didn’t want to hear.
The situation has been getting slowly worse since and now it’s on a precipice.
It’s not just a Tory thing, successive governments have done things that have impacted the NHS. You don’t see anyone in the public criticising the removal of the 1% NI increase
The fact is wages and conditions are just too bad to retain doctors, nurses and social care staff. It’s not about Tory or Labour policy, it’s about whether society is prepared to pay people to look after them, and unfortunately so far society doesn’t appear to want to put its hand in its pockets. If it did the Tories and Labour would jump at it
Del
Full Member
Tbh I’m amazed you’ve all put up with it this long. You all have my full support fwiw. Take care
I am so proud to be registered with the RCN.
I earned that and no one will ever take it away from me.
Please, I’m begging you, don’t believe the media stories regarding militancy.
We just want to be able to help.Thanks for listening
I don't, and thank you.
You have my full support.
Social Care worker here. You have my full support.
Absolutely.
We are really struggling just now, as are other trusts going off what I can see on my screen.
It really tests my pride facing possible industrial action, I’m off on Wednesday so won’t be effected. However, I’m in some of the other planned dates. I’m going to struggle.
School teacher here. You have my full support. Clapping won't pay the bills.
FWIW full support here. Having been an all too regular customer of the NHS it's obvious things are being run down before even getting to pay levels.
And yes clapping doesn't pay the bills
Folk who work for the NHS are amazing. I hope things improve for you.
Drac
You are one of the reasons I joined the NHS.
Thanks.
Fully support, and thank you.
No, thank you. I’ve loved my time with the NHS but I’m tired now. It’s had an effect on my health, particularly my mental health. Still enjoy my job, especially now I have a lot more clinical again.
Full support from me. One daughter is a nurse another a junior doctor so I have some insight… but I would support anyway.
it’s about whether society is prepared to pay people to look after them, and unfortunately so far society doesn’t appear to want to put its hand in its pockets. If it did the Tories and Labour would jump at it
Opinion polls consistently show that the overwhelming majority of voters fully support tax increases to fund the NHS and social care.
If the Tories and Labour don't jump at it, and let's be fair the reluctance is primarily on the part of the Tories, then it is simply because they would rather spend the money on other stuff, like expensive hardware designed to kill people, or spunk it on private sector providers (as eloquently proposed recently by the Labour Shadow Health Secretary)), not because they feel voters would not approve of more resources for the NHS.
Although there has been a long standing political campaign by some to discredit the NHS as being wasteful and squandering of resources it doesn't seem to have achieved much traction with the majority of voters.
Some of these people who purport to be concerned about wastefulness should perhaps focus more at looking at the added costs to the NHS of delaying necessary and effective treatment, and also helping private providers make healthy profits out of sick people.
Solidarity, 100% - thank you all for all you do.
Full support.
The tories showed their hand early this week. Underfund it, get the public angry about its state, sell it off. I think the public are starting to see the truth, I hope so anyway.
I’ve come off Twitter cos I was just getting a constant stream of right wing bullshit, most responses destroyed them but so what- if people read the R wing press they don’t see the counter argument.
If it was warmer there would be people in the streets, rioting.
Where is the "like" button?
I fully support you!
Thank you to everyone who works in the NHS - you have my full support in your quest for decent wages and working conditions!
Ive always, always told my son that one of the absolute defining reasons I have never voted Tory is that they fought against the creation of the NHS and have tried to undermine it pretty much ever since. Labour are not without some blame but only the Tories treat the NHS as a total liability rather than an incredible and near universal safety net for the whole population when it is needed.
It is the greatest defining achievement of any peace time government this country has ever had.
Above all the other reasons I detest the Tories is their treatment of the NHS and its staff. They will literally kill people to save cash and to follow an almost Darwinian ideology. They have nothing but contempt for the institution, its staff and those that use it.
The Tories are absolute satanic, greedy, ****ers and I absolutely and totally support those that are striking.
Yeah, I'm a little pissed off and I don't even work within the NHS, though my partner does, the poor cow.
Civil Servant here, married to a social worker.
Total support for you and your colleagues. Pay is the issue the government and press are focusing, staffing and patient/client safety are the real underlying issue behind a lot of the strikes.
I'm reasonably well paid. Except I'm probably doing two peoples work, with no experienced staff to support us. To do that in a life critical service must be horrendous.
Whilst I support all the strikes going on at the moment I think it's the nurses & ambulance drivers strike that the government really fears - if they think spouting made up numbers on TV will be enough to get the public to side with the government they're even more clueless than Liz was with her budget.
I’m reasonably well paid. Except I’m probably doing two peoples work, with no experienced staff to support us. To do that in a life critical service must be horrendous.
+1.
I work for a local authority. Each year the budgets shrink and have to stretch further. It is systemic within the public sector.
I am finding my own situation more and more untenable, if I knew my actions were life critical then that level of responsibility would probably break me.
100% support to the Nurses, and everyone else striking because this government(s) have monumentally ****ed things up. As per the J Pie video, they jhave squander (and doled out to their mates) much much more than what the Nurses are due. I think some people are still suffering from the envy that they weren’t essential during the pandemic when the likes of bin men, posties and shop workers were deemed key workers.
I think you're pushing against an open door here Pete, I don't hear many decenting voices anywhere on this question. Apart from my sister in law, but she's an arsehole.
Same for all the other striking workers after a fair, (not even good!) wages and conditions deal.
My full support is with the NHS and nirses
They will literally kill people to save cash and to follow an almost Darwinian ideology
It's not Darwinian. Darwinism demonstrates why helping others helps all...what you are taking of has another name. Don't misuse the science or put down the scientist.
Full support here.
No need for tax raises. If the money was spent properly, the service would be in great shape. Instead, it's creamed off by layer upon layer of parasites.
Ignoring that, and blaming the front line workers of militancy, is utterly piss boiling.
The NHS and the tireless, under appreciated, over worked and under paid people that work in it are amazing. The help and phenomenal support we received when Funk Jr was ill as a baby was priceless. I’d happily pay more tax to help support them.
Full support here too, the tories need kicking out!
Until I went off sick earlier this year (fairly valid reason) I worked as an OT on a Low-Secure Psych Unit. I called in last week and the difference on the unit was shocking. Over half the original team had left over the last 6 months. It was understaffed with newbies or agency workers. Patients were frustrated and it's clear it's about to go very wrong there.
I almost cried when several of my old patients asked, "When are you coming back?"
My new experience on the other side (terminal illness) has been very poor. Lots of poor-communication, things not getting done, failed appointments, staff not having time (or some that clearly just don't care), etc has all increased the stress on me and my family. Today I am speaking with PALS to consider a formal complaint. But what good will it do?!!
You have my empathy and vote.
Total support from me.
My sister works in NHS MH services and I've been hearing the same things from her for some time.
Another one here supporting things.
I've a sister, sister in law and (retired) mother in law who are nurses.
It is about the working conditions for them - my sister as a community nurse has an emergency button device she wears - but every month someone tries to save £20 and cancels the SIM on it, she provides her own printer cartridges to print patient records, and she has an old dining chair as an office chair as her trust doesn't see why they need office furniture...
With the absence of an effective opposition it is for the people to represent themselves.
Striking is democracy.
You and your colleagues across the sector have my full support and admiration. All power to you whether striking or not.
I don't know why anyone wouldn't support this. But then, I do. I've fallen out with friends in recent years over their stand point on things like this. Complete selfishness, i'm-alright-jack, zero empathy mentality, and there are plenty people like that.
I don’t anything main stream reports now and thank you for doing a great job.
Hiya,
I think it is obvious we are being manipulated by the right wing media. This has been going on for years:
Ali -G summed it up a few years ago. I have cousins that have resigned from the NHS I can only think the Tosser Tory's are doing this to deliberately wind up some services and as an excuse to have the running of the services privatized, well the ones they haven't already. You only have to see the way some of the health corporations are lobbying some of the MPs and Lords to see the whole plan...
BR
JeZ
Thanks for all you do, keep the faith, there has to be light at the end of this tunnel?
The scumbags need to realise that their voters are the ones waiting 8 hours on the floor for an ambulance.
Mrs zip’s mum can no longer bring herself to vote for them.
The ****s are just grabbing everything they can before they are booted out.
Absolute support and solidarity. We get to hear similar stories from our 3 who work in the NHS. So glad to have left Tory Rutland a year ago, I would have been in chains in the Tower by now for throttling reactionary ignoramuses. You have to fight your corner and don't give in.
Support to you and all of those taking action in seek of fair pay for their hard work.
Thanks for your dedication in such a thankless role.
Just seen someone on twitter whining about TikTok locums being evil, and leaving the NHS (£13 an hour) to go and work as a locum (£35 an hour).
No idea how anyone can consider £13 an hour for what Doctors (or any NHS medical staff) do to be reasonable, esoecially when you consider the shifts, unpaid overtime, 70-80-90 hour weeks and so on.
I'd be starting with double that, and going from there. (Might not need to be spending all that NHS cash on Locums if you had a properly staffed and paid NHS in the first place!)
Pete most of my friends that includes you, and what family I have work in either direct or community NHS work.
The level of utter exhaustion with the present situation is glaringly obvious to me, my only hope is this is a turning point?
But its no good those of looking on just agreeing with you we already know. The more of us that can make people see what is really happening then it can only be for the good.
Might not need to be spending all that NHS cash on Locums if you had a properly staffed and paid NHS in the first place
That's what I don't get, see it in social work as well. Can't be beyond the wit of (wo)man to square that circle, surely?