Merseyside NHS staff feel 'degraded' as nurse strikes continue
It's down to an on-going dispute between the Union and Government, about pay and conditions
Patients across Merseyside, Cheshire, and the country, are being told to expect potential disruption to healthcare services as thousands of NHS staff walk out again today.
It’s the second day of action this week which is being described as the biggest strike action in NHS history.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) say they want the government to give nurses ‘what they deserve.’
Union members including some nurses, paramedics and emergency call handlers are walking out.
Steph works in the critical care unit at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital. She said she has to take extra shifts as the cost of living bites.
She said: “It’s really bad, I have to do bank shifts to afford bills.
"I do work full time, I’ve got two young children under three. To be able to afford general living I have to work bank shifts because its not possible to afford it just off my normal wage”
The Royal Collage of Nursing is asking for a pay rise around the price of inflation but the government say these strikes will fuel inflation and 'help no one.'
Matthew Harris, regional official for the RCN, believes the pay increase is needed not just for current staff but to help the future of the NHS.
He said: “It’s okay the government trying to recruit nurses but there are more people thinking ‘why bother with nursing as a career?’
“Let’s face it, nurses need appropriate salaries and that is really about respect.
"This government does not respect nursing and the nursing professions being degraded by the way the government is treating them.”
Last month RCN chief executive Pat Cullen said that he blamed the government for the need to take strike action.
He said: "Rather than negotiate, Rishi Sunak has chosen strike action again. We are doing this in a desperate bid to get him and ministers to rescue the NHS."
Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said: “I have held constructive talks with the trade unions on pay and affordability and continue to urge them to call off the strikes.
"It is time for the trade unions to look forward and engage in a constructive dialogue about the Pay Review Body Process for the coming year.”
Further strikes are expected if a deal cannot be reached.