Overworked, burnt out & can’t pay bills

NURSES BLAST LONG HOURS

NURSES say they are working 13-hour shifts without breaks and struggling to pay their bills after announcing a first national strike.

Staff leaving St Thomas’ Hospital in London yesterday morning backed the walkouts next month.

Nurse Lauren Cavile, 32, said she struggled to pay bills and said she did not earn enough to be “overworked”, “fatigued” and “burnt out”. Fellow nurse Kate Sturmer, 27, has also worked in hospitals in Australia and described the pay in the UK as “the lowest”.

Many nurses leaving St Thomas’ were “too tired” to speak about industrial action after finishing night shifts.

Midwife Lauren Nielson, 25, said she and her colleagues were working 13hour shifts with no breaks because of low staff numbers and demanding levels of paperwork.

She added: “I just want to be able to eat my dinner.”

Although Ms Nielson is not due to strike as a midwife, she supported the walkouts. It is hoped they will lead to higher pay and improved staff recruitment.

OBVIOUSLY a national nurses strike is a nightmare situation.

No-one wants it to happen. Especially our dedicated nurses, That’s why this is the first time it has ever happened in this country.

But this is what happens when you consistently fail to pay key workers what they deserve.

This is a sector that has been through hell over the last few years.

From the devastation of covid to persistent and worsening staff shortages, they have had to work in unimaginable conditions.

Now some can’t even afford their bills and are working 13-hour shifts without breaks.

This is not the way to treat our heroes. They more than deserve a fair pay rise.

Give them what they want.