‘We want our patients to be safe,’ – those were the words of Lee Sampson, an oncology nurse at the Alexandra Hospital who joined colleagues up and down the country for the second week of strike action.
Lee was one of 70 nurses campaigning outside the Alex on Tuesday.
The strike is in its second week and is part of the national Royal College of Nurses’ (RCN) action in a bid for pay to be increased in line with inflation for current healthcare staff and to entice more into the profession.
Lee said: “The problem is not just the pay, but there simply isn’t enough staff for patients to be safe.
“The mental health of the staff is in disarray and we can’t carry on like this.”
Zerina Thomas has been a nurse for over 35 years and this is the first time she has undertaken strike action.
She said: “People may think, why bother striking when you’ve been in the job this long.
“But what about the conditions for newly-qualified nurses or when I get older and need to use the service? What will be left of the NHS in 20 years time?
“If we want people to continue to work as an NHS nurse, or attract people into the profession there has to be major changes.”
Redditch nurses joined over 100,000 others across England, Northern Ireland and Wales.
The union said its nurses had received under-inflation pay rises for many years and many did not want to stay in the profession because wages did not match the roles they were undertaking.
Lee added: “If it was all about the money I wouldn’t have got into nursing in the first place.
“I do what I do because I’m passionate about caring for patients, but the this can’t carry on.
“I’m on anti-depressants because of the toll it takes on my mental health.
“Forget about the money, I’d be happy to see the wards fully staffed and patients getting the care they deserve.”
Matthew Hopkins, chief executive of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “We are working with our local union members and our teams and services to minimise the impact of the planned industrial action on our patients and service users and keep patients safe.
“Plans are in place to ensure our most vulnerable patients continue to be cared for.
“Nobody should put off seeking urgent or emergency care during the strikes.”
Health Secretary Steve Barclay said last week the Government recognised the pressure on the NHS and hugely valued the work which nurses did which was why they accepted in full the recommendations of the independent pay body.
