Out-of-touch health bosses need to open ears and realise our nurses have reached their limit

HAS anyone asked the managers of our health trusts what they consider to be safe levels of staff per ward?

A colleague of mine is a senior nurse in Belfast City Hospital and was present when management were asked how many qualified staff was considered to be safe on a ward. Their answer? Seven.

The staff were amazed: they haven’t had seven nurses on a ward in years.

As to the number of palliative nurses in the community that there should be? Forty was the answer.

There aren’t 40 nurses employed as palliative nurses in the community.

The nurses’ strike is to highlight the dire situation on our wards. Staff have raised concerns for years but have been ignored.

As a district nurse (now retired), I flagged up the lack of staff and the impossibility of our task.

We wrote letters to managers and were ignored — not even receiving the courtesy of an acknowledgement.

When you are working beyond your capacity, being ignored and seeing the effects on yourself, your colleagues and, mostly, your patients, you are backed into the unenviable position of doing the only thing left: strike.

Our politicians have been on (partial) strike now for three years; healthcare staff for just a few weeks, and we are being blamed for everything.

If the service isn’t listened to now and changes not just talked about but implemented, then we are finished.

You can’t keep beating up staff who have been pushed to the limit and have little more to give.

LESLEY HUTTON By email