‘We can’t pay bills with claps,’

says Tom Johnson*, 30, from Sheffield

“I’ve worked in healthcare since I was 19 and I wouldn’t want to do anything else. I’d stay at the NHS if I could, but financially, it’s no longer possible. I’m currently working my notice period, then I’m leaving to work with private agencies and set up my own business.

“The world is getting more expensive – energy and food prices have gone up, and council tax is increasing. Although the government gave NHS staff a three per cent pay rise in 2021, it was the first wage increase in years, and as inf lation was over five per cent in January 2022, it’s essentially a pay cut.

“Many nurses have been forced to use food banks. It’s degrading. I’m getting married later this year, and we’d love to start a family soon after, but we need the financial security to go ahead and do so. We’re both NHS staff – my partner works as a biomedical scientist.

“The pandemic was difficult, and it was hard not to take the stress home, especially as we didn’t know the full extent of the threat of the virus. We felt like pawns being pushed out onto the frontline, and many nurses have had to take extended time off to deal with the stress.

“The camaraderie was fantastic, and I felt supported on my ward, which isn’t always guaranteed. But it’s the financial pressures that affect my mental health the most. Work is supposed to give you the money to afford to live.

“The pandemic highlighted the important role that nurses have in society, but we can’t pay the bills with claps. People called us ‘angels’. We’re not – we’re highly trained and qualified individuals doing our jobs. We need a fair income. In doing so, roles will be filled and shifts covered when staff are off sick. I love nursing, but

I’ve been pushed to the brink.”