THURSDAY saw nursing staff across the country striking in the largest instance of industrial action from nurses in the history of the NHS.
Nursing staff from England, Wales, and Northern Ireland walked out after ministers had refused to reopen pay negotiations.
Only “life-preserving” and some urgent care will go ahead, as routine surgeries and planned treatments face disruptions.
The Royal College of Nursing has said that it had “no choice” but to take industrial action due to the government “not listening” regarding the protection of staff.
More than 300,000 nurses were balloted across individual NHS Trusts, including the Royal Berkshire Hospital which saw a staff picket.
Around 40 people were attending the picket line outside the Craven Road entrance of the RBH, including the Royal College of Nursing’s general secretary, Pat Cullen.
Speaking at the picket line, Ms Cullen said: “Nurses should not shy away from the fact that they are entitled to a decent salary for the fantastic jobs that they do.
“If we are going to address the retention and recruitment issues within nursing, then they have to be paid a decent salary to do that.
“But this is about much more than pay – this is about us being able to provide safe care for our patients.
“We can’t do that with 50,000 vacant nursing posts in the NHS alone in this country, so it’s about those wider issues as well, it all goes back to that one particular issue.”
During Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, December 14, Rishi Sunak said that Labour leader Kier Starmer’s urging of the prime minister to “get round the table” was a “political formula for avoiding taking a position” on the issue.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay said that his “door is always open” to talks, however Ms Cullen said this was “disrespectful and disingenuous.
“Taking me into those rooms with open doors and telling me I can talk about anything else but pay – why is that?
“Is it because I’m representing a 90% female profession and that caring isn’t valued in their minds?
“Because there’s nothing more important than providing care and treatment for our patients– and there’s nothing more important than looking after these brilliant nurses that are standing out here today losing a day’s pay.”
The Health Secretary has refused pay negotiations after having accepted NHS Pay Review Body recommendations of a pay rise of around 4%, which is below the level of inflation.
Ms Cullen said that pay had to be part of the conversation in any negotiations: “So no more bringing me into rooms and telling me I can talk about whatever comes up, but not about pay.
“It needs to be talking and negotiating about these nurses, their pay, and the conditions that they are working in.”
Ms Cullen also spoke with a number of the nurses attending the picket, addressing concerns and comforting many of the attendees.
Members of the public were also seen bringing coffee and pastries to staff to show solidarity.
Filipa Vicente, one of the Royal Berkshire Hospital nurses attending the picket, said that the industrial action was about safer conditions.
“We want colleagues that can come to work and they are happy to do their job, but not feeling constantly burnt out and overwhelmed with the load of work and lack of staff that we’re facing every day.
“We want fair pay and to come to work and be appreciated– a lot of people will give up nursing, and those who are here passionately fighting for the profession, picking up the slack.
“And it’s just not fair to work in such precarious conditions, we’re not able to provide the care that we want for all of our patients.”
She said also that the use of agency staff to fill positions was not tackling the problem properly.
“When it was found that the numbers of people that had left after the pandemic 40,000 nurses, and this year we find out that there are 50,000 places to fill in.
“It’s a lot of work and we have to fill in every day, especially when you see new faces working with you, teams with one experienced nurse working with agency people.
“It’s a lot of responsibility on just one person to oversee all of that– it’s demoralising.”
While she said that her position in hospital theatres was slightly more fortunate than a lot of colleagues, the system was a “breaking point.”
“Nurses are unable to take breaks, and it’s demoralising, getting home feeling very uneasy, especially when you feel you haven’t been able to do it to the best of your abilities.
“Even though you are quite stressed and I think you put a lot of effort in your personal self to keep providing the outstanding care, sometimes you just can’t because you can’t be everywhere all the time.”
