By Anna Whittaker, Local Democracy Reporter
An NHS cardiology nurse who joined a wave of national strikes at Nottingham City Hospital described how one elderly woman had waited 52 hours for a hospital bed this week.
Thousands of nurses have walked out for the second time in a week over pay and working conditions. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN), which has organised the action, is asking the Government for a 19 per cent pay rise.
Some nurses and healthcare assistants working for Nottingham University Hosptials (NUH) also walked out last Thursday, December 15.
Health minister Will Quince said the pay demand is “totally unaffordable” for the Government.
Staff on the picket line this morning at Nottingham City Hospital spoke to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
Sarah-Leigh Mcmahon, a regional organiser for RCN said the public support had been “amazing” with many cars beeping their horns on their way past.
It comes as the Nottinghamshire NHS is under a critical incident – meaning some operations and outpatient appointments may be postponed to “prioritise patients with the most urgent clinical need”.
NUH, which also runs the Queen’s Medical Centre, is seeing high numbers of patients with the flu and falls coming into the accident and emergency department.
Some East Midlands Ambulance Service workers, including paramedics, are also due to strike tomorrow (December 21).
Believe Tamesere, who was also on the picket line at City Hospital on December 20, has been a cardiology nurse for a year.
He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “Yesterday I was at work and there was a 85-year-old woman waiting for 52 hours for a bed.
“It’s shocking and heartbreaking. Something must be done about this.
“That is why I am striking today.”
Daisy James, a healthcare assistant in an outpatient department, said she earns just over £10 an hour. She works part-time and her salary is around £15,000 a year.
She said: “With the cost of living it is difficult, we do struggle. You’ve got to do what you can to make ends meet.
“But it’s not just about pay. We are desperately short-staffed.
“Staff aren’t being replaced once they’re gone. I know quite a few nurses and healthcare assistants who are working two jobs.
“It wasn’t a difficult decision to strike. If we don’t stand up we won’t have an NHS. We’ve got to fight for it with everything we’ve got.”
Bex Sneyd, a heart failure specialist nurse, added: “We are seeing long waits for procedures, too many patients, not enough beds, the Emergency Department is absolutely full to the brim.
“The staff are absolutely run ragged, it is absolutely non stop for them in ED.
“It isn’t a decision any of us took lightly, we don’t want to do this but we’ve been forced into the situation.”
Rachel Humphreys, renal specialist nurse, said staff morale is “really low”.
She added: “The critical incident was declared before the strike and that’s a reflection of everything happening currently in the healthcare system.
“I never expected anything like this to happen but we are doing this for our patients and ourselves.
“Staff morale is really low. Lots of nurses including myself don’t feel we have a good enough work life balance.”
Sarah-Leigh Mcmahon, Regional organiser for RCN added: “It is unlikely these nurses would’ve gone on strike four years ago.
“A lot has happened including Covid and they can’t tolerate it any longer.
“Many of them can’t even afford to come to work anymore. The impact on patient safety is terrible.
“The stories are heartbreaking. They go onto shift fearing there won’t be enough of them, they fear for their professional safety if something goes wrong, they are scared, run down, exhausted and angry.
“Can the government afford not to pay our nursing staff fairly? Because they are leaving in droves.”
Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said: “The RCN’s demands are unaffordable during these challenging times and would take money away from frontline services while they are still recovering from the impact of the pandemic. I’m open to engaging with the unions on how to make the NHS a better place to work.”
He added that patients should continue to come forward for emergency and urgent medical care.
