Strike may mean long-term gain
ONE A&E nurse on the go throughout her 12-hour shift says staff are pushed to the limit and going on strike may help.
She faces tough decisions daily such as, for example, whether to give a septic man antibiotics, move a 97-year-old lady off a trolley or give a woman a commode.
She said: “That lady might have to wet herself as she won’t die of embarrassment but if that man doesn’t get his antibiotics he might actually die of infection. He has to be my priority if no other colleague is free to help.
“There are days I go home and I’m upset because I know I haven’t been able to give my patients the care I want to give them.”
She added: “So, i f we have to compromise it a bit more by going on strike – short-term pain for long-term gain – then who can say that’s wrong?” on a strike, it will be carried out without delay. The Government must fill the soaring number of vacant jobs by valu valuing nursing staff more than it has in recent y years. “Nurses should not have to fund the NHS deficit from their ow own pay.” The NHS Pay Review Body said current public sec sector pay policy is coming under stress. It said: “There are widespread co concerns about recruitment, retentionretentio and motivation by employers and staff alike.” It also said higher inflation rises than forecast forecasted will lead to bigger cuts in realre pay for staff than were anticipated in 2015, whe when the public sector pay po policy was announced.