I am not sure why you deleted your original message and reposted it after I answered.
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So, I know we don't believe government and we especially don't believe Tory government but wasn't Rishi on Piers Morgan saying that they are planning on putting money into the NHS but it's not going to spent on payrises. Its going to be spent on recruitment? In that case, all will be well (if they do it, but let's assume they will).
So if money was ploughed into recruitment would that be enough?
So if money was ploughed into recruitment would that be enough?
I m a Nurse in critical care. I support the strikes although will not be striking due to the area I work in.
Nursing is vastly different to how it was when I qualified 25 years ago. Junior staff are not able to be trained and supported due to staffing levels/skill mix and the need to move staff to cover other areas. The cost of living is so much more now than it was when I qualified and these newly qualified nurses cannot achieve a standard of living - mortgage etc in many cases. They are staying a few years then moving to advanced nursing roles which carry a higher pay band leaving the coal face short yet again. Thinking about my future and any future care I or my family may need I want there to be the nurses there to look after myself and my family. If we think it’s bad now it’s only going to get worse. Nursing is a degree Level profession with life long learning. My friends 16 year old daughter recently got a part time job while at school waiting tables. Pay s £2 an hour less than a newly qualified Staff Nurse.
Nursing is vastly different to how it was when I qualified 25 years ago. Junior staff are not able to be trained and supported due to staffing levels/skill mix and the need to move staff to cover other areas. The cost of living is so much more now than it was when I qualified and these newly qualified nurses cannot achieve a standard of living - mortgage etc in many cases. They are staying a few years then moving to advanced nursing roles which carry a higher pay band leaving the coal face short yet again. Thinking about my future and any future care I or my family may need I want there to be the nurses there to look after myself and my family. If we think it’s bad now it’s only going to get worse. Nursing is a degree Level profession with life long learning. My friends 16 year old daughter recently got a part time job while at school waiting tables. Pay s £2 an hour less than a newly qualified Staff Nurse.
Same for everyone, even people with degrees in other professions. We need to be directing our anger at energy companies and the government.
How do you suggest we do this? Very interested to hear?
Protests, exposure, petitions, holding people accountable. I know what they are really doing and it's nothing to do with Vladimir Putin.
Sorry this sounds like something that should be on another thread as I m sure this thread is for discussing the nurses strikes and those for and against. Not sure if striking does not work a petition would do much good. Not entirely sure about your reference to Vladimir Putun either? Maybe you can elaborate?
The nurses are citing the rising energy prices as a reason for wanting the 19% pay rise. The rising energy prices and fuel prices are blamed by mainstream media on President Putin and the so called "war" in the Ukraine. What I will say is don't believe everything the media tells you.
The rising cost of living is one of the reasons for the strike but also a bid to recruit more people into the profession. Nursing is not an attractive choice for many people anymore. Those who do come into the profession from my experience are disillusioned very quickly. There is no getting away from it we need nurses and we will always need nurses. You can say the same for many other professions too like teachers, police and firefighters. Many years of below inflation pay increases or no increase at all have culminated in this where public sector staff have had enough. There are no other options open to us for an increase in pay. You cannot negotiate pay rises at annual appraisals. Striking is the only option left as as I said before I fully support those striking.
But would you support it if your relative needed care and there was no around around to deliver it? We have people in need of transfusions being refused.
Yes I would because it will only get worse. I have a child who has significant medical needs and we have had appointments put back, treatment’s rescheduled due to nursing issues (not due to striking as we are in Scotland and the nurses have not yet begun striking) and I want there to nurses for him all through his life. Surgeries are being cancelled , postponed all the time at the moment due to staffing issues which are nothing to do with the strikes. It’s happening every day in all areas.
I’m a nurse of 9 years. I left the NHS for a GP surgery now - my pay is (marginally) better and I feel more valued at work. Gave up the right to strike with that move also, but I think people fail to understand the root of the strike is not necessarily about getting 19% pay rise (which is not going to happen - I don’t see where in the budget this massive amount of money would ever be found) it’s about the conditions we work in. I was a community nurse (band 5 so lowest rank of the qualified nurses) for years and very often was left with 15-20 patients to see a day in their own homes in the town I worked in who needed everything from daily insulin injections to seeing those who were sadly in the last stages of their life being cared for at home, and giving controlled drugs like morphine to them as needed. I then went into health visiting where we were expected to hold caseloads of 40-50 children who were in terrible and dangerous situations.
I am a nurse because I love my job. I went into it knowing I would never be the best paid in the world. But the way we are working is not safe for any of you, our family members, ourselves - anyone who needs care at any stage of their life.
that is why I support the strikes (us, our paramedic, physiotherapist and medical colleagues) drawing attention to the state our NHS is in - because it affects us all at the end of the day.
I am a nurse because I love my job. I went into it knowing I would never be the best paid in the world. But the way we are working is not safe for any of you, our family members, ourselves - anyone who needs care at any stage of their life.
that is why I support the strikes (us, our paramedic, physiotherapist and medical colleagues) drawing attention to the state our NHS is in - because it affects us all at the end of the day.
I would be very happy with 7%. 7% of top band 5 in Scotland £35.365 is just shy of 40k.
This, 100%. My husband is a doctor, and he is ashamed to work for the NHS with the state it is in. Having to apologise to almost every patient for how long it will take to get their treatment/operation. We already left the UK once, to go to NZ where he worked in Obs&Gynae. Way more money, way less tax, way less stress, could even do his on-calls from home. We only came back as I was utterly homesick. I know we'd be off like a shot if I decided to give it another go. I don't blame other medical professionals for leaving the NHS.
The reason the NHS is in this mess is because they can't recruit. Working overseas/private sector are much more palatable options. I saw multiple nationwide job adverts today for disability assessors for the DWP. £72k-£84k pa, and the only experience necessary was GMC registration and 1 year's experience post qualification. Doctors who have been qualified 1 year have no chance of earning that in a hospital. Flexible working, hybrid working, no weekends, etc. There were similar posts available for nurses. The NHS as it is, is an extremely unattractive employment option, especially for newly-qualified professionals.
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The Scottish NHS do seem to be getting a slightly better deal. The current top band 5 rate in Scotland is £35365. Strikes in Scotland are currently paused on the understanding the SG will advise us before end of Feb of a new offer for 23/24. The 22/23 offer was imposed and is no longer being negoitard. I don't want to get my hopes up that that next offer will be 7% though. For me the review of agenda for change and min staffing levels is also really important.
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I agree with everything you've said. I also feel embarrassed to work for the NHS atm. I know of a few nurses who left to do the disability assessment because they thought it would be easy band 6 money but utterly hated it. Everyone of them left within the year.
Totally agree it’s about safe staffing levels which can only be achieved by making recruitment into nursing more desirable. Fair pay has a role to play in that amongst many other factors.
They write their plans on the back of fag packets. The government came up with the idea to give a generous bursary was to Physics and maths graduates to train as teachers to solve the recruitment crisis there. School put time into training these students and tax payers money paid the bursary. At the end of the training many of these students teachers did not enter the profession. They simply did the year of training, which wasn’t even full time on the job, and then got a better job in the private sector.
Do nurses still have to pay a fee to be on the nursing register thingy? I have never agreed with that fee.
Yes that s right it’s £120 a year