TIMES.KY

Cayman Islands, Caribbeanand International News
Thursday, Mar 30, 2023

Britain’s historic nurses’ strikes reveal health system pushed to the brink

Britain’s historic nurses’ strikes reveal health system pushed to the brink

Despite the effect on health service provision, the public overwhelmingly supports striking nurses. 

Britain’s nurses have walked out of the country’s hospitals in a stand off over pay with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak but there’s one group firmly behind the National Health Service: The public.

The largest strikes in the history of the country’s NHS kicked off in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in December, with a second day of strikes taking place on Tuesday. The walkout of up to 100,000 nursing staff in protest against real-term pay cuts and concerns about patient safety will massively disrupt ordinary health care provision. 

Despite the impact on the British public at a time of year when the health system is under extraordinary pressure, Britons are still firmly behind striking nurses. Two-thirds of the public support the strike action, a poll Tuesday from YouGov indicated. Levels of support were similar for strikes by ambulance staff, who are set to embark on action on Wednesday. 

“Health workers rarely go on strike but when they do it should be seen as a red flag, designating a health system in crisis,” said Martin McKee, president of the British Medical Association and professor of European public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. “The NHS has gone from one of the best performing [health services] in industrialized countries to one that is failing on many measures in just over a decade.”

It's not just underinvestment in staff and equipment, but also failings in housing and welfare that are contributing to this, said McKee. 

Appearing before a committee of senior MPs on Tuesday, Sunak insisted he was sticking to the recommendations on pay set out by its pay review body.

He acknowledged inflation levels were “difficult for everybody,” but insisted the best way to help everyone else in the country was to “get a grip and reduce inflation as quickly as possible.” 

“If we get it wrong, and we're still dealing with high inflation in a year's time, that's not going to help anybody," he said. "I don't want to see that I want to see things get back to normal, and that's why having an independent process is an important part of making those decisions and getting them correct, and that's why we've accepted those recommendations.”

The strikes reveal the level of pressure on nurses, and the health system more broadly, over the past several years. Research from health think tank the King’s Fund shows there has been a 25 percent increase in the number of nurses leaving their role between June 2021 and June 2022 compared to the previous year. While the strikes will likely further increase already eye-watering long waiting lists, the Royal College of Nursing argues that the current staffing crisis is putting patients' lives at risk.


Not budging


Health Secretary Steve Barclay has refused to reopen pay negotiations on the demand for a pay rise of five percent above inflation, with the RCN General Secretary Pat Cullen saying Tuesday that it is “unprecedented” for the union's members to strike.

“If this government isn’t prepared to do the right thing, we’ll have no choice but to continue in January and that will be deeply regrettable,” Cullen warned. 

Analysis of the current state of Britain's health system paints a dire picture. "Restricted funding for more than a decade has led to a deterioration in performance right across the NHS, with waiting times standards for hospital care and for treatment at A&E routinely not met for more than 5 years," said Sally Warren, director of policy at the King's Fund.

"For staff working in the NHS, the latest annual NHS staff survey highlighted a sobering picture of over-stretched teams working in an under-staffed health service."

Nurses were paid less in real terms in 2021/22 than in 2010/11, said Nuffield Trust researcher, Lucina Rolewicz. "So it is unsurprising that many nurses are beginning to struggle with the cost of living," she said. But nurses are also leaving for other reasons, including work-life balance, Rolewicz added.

While the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic may have receded, the impact is still felt in the health system. During the health crisis, many staff experienced intense workload and burnout, the Health Foundation’s Stephen Rocks said Tuesday. Combined with the cost-of-living crisis, this is likely to “have a further adverse impact on staff pay, morale and retention,” he said. 

As for the NHS, it's focused on mitigating any threat to patients during the industrial action.

In advice sent out Tuesday, the NHS said that patients should "use services wisely" during strikes. The advice includes asking the public to "play their part" by looking after themselves and their loved ones, including by "drinking responsibly."

Newsletter

Related Articles

TIMES.KY
Close
0:00
0:00
China and Brazil have signed a new deal that will allow them to trade in their own currencies, bypassing the US dollar as an intermediary
Elon Musk and Others Call for Pause on A.I., Citing ‘Profound Risks to Society’
Nashville style execution
“We've had evidence prior to the pandemic that masks were largely ineffective at preventing community transmission of influenza “
Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz:
Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz rejects being labeled a "billionaire"
Jamie Dimon is being deposed over JPMorgan Chase role in Epstein lawsuits
Brand new security footage has just been released to the public showing the Active shooter Audrey Elizabeth Hale drove to Covenant Church School in her Honda Fit this morning, parked, and shot her way into the building
AMERICA, 2023
U.S. charges FTX's Bankman-Fried with paying $40 million bribe
Fallen 'Crypto King' Who Owes Millions to Investors Was Kidnapped and Tortured
Regulators blame social media for SVB's rapid collapse: 'Complete game changer'
AOC explains why she opposes banning TikTok
UK: Humza Yousaf replaces Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader and first minister in Scotland
In a dramatic U-turn against His Government: Judicial Reform Legislation Must Be Halted, Says Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant
Gordon Moore, a co-founder of Intel Corporation, died at 94
Powell: Silicon Valley Bank was an 'outlier'
Donald Trump arrested – Twitter goes wild with doctored pictures
NYPD is setting up barricades outside Manhattan Criminal Court ahead of Trump arrest.
Credit Suisse's Scandalous History Resulted in an Obvious Collapse - It's time for regulators who fail to do their job to be held accountable and serve as an example by being behind bars.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman tours potential migrant housing in Rwanda as asylum deal remains mired in legal challenges
Paris Rioting vs Macron anti democratic law
'Sexual Fantasy' Assignment At US School Outrages Parents
Credit Suisse to borrow $54 billion from Swiss central bank
Russian Hackers Preparing New Cyber Assault Against Ukraine
Jeremy Hunt insists his Budget will get young parents and over-50s back into work
If this was in Tehran, Moscow or Hong Kong
TRUMP: "Standing before you today, I am the only candidate who can make this promise: I will prevent World War III."
Mexican President Claims Mexico is Safer than the U.S.
A brief banking situation report
Lady bites police officer and gets instantly reaction
We are witnessing widespread bank fails and the president just gave a 5 min speech then walked off camera.
Donald Trump's asked by Tucker Carlson question on if the U.S. should support regime change in Russia?.
Silicon Valley Bank exec was Lehman Brothers CFO
In a potential last-ditch effort, HSBC is considering a rescue deal to save Silicon Valley Bank UK from insolvency
BBC Director General, Tim Davie, has apologized, but not resigned, yet, following the disruption of sports programmes over the weekend
Elon Musk Is Planning To Build A Town In Texas For His Employees
The Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse effect is spreading around the world, affecting startup companies across the globe
City officials in Berlin announced on Thursday that all swimmers at public pools will soon be allowed to swim topless
Fitness scam
Market Chaos as USDC Loses Peg to USD after $3.3 Billion Reserves Held by Silicon Valley Bank Closed.
Senator Tom Cotton: If the Mexican Government Won’t Stop Cartels from Killing Americans, Then U.S. Government Should
Banking regulators close SVB, the largest bank failure since the financial crisis
The unelected UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, an immigrant himself, defends new controversial crackdown on illegal migration
Man’s penis amputated by mistake after he’s wrongly diagnosed with a tumour
In a major snub to Downing Street's Silicon Valley dreams, UK chip giant Arm has dealt a serious blow to the government's economic strategy by opting for a US listing
It's the question on everyone's lips: could a four-day workweek be the future of employment?
Is Gold the Ultimate Safe Haven Asset in Times of Uncertainty?
Spain officials quit over trains that were too wide for tunnels...
Don Lemon, a CNN anchor, has provided a list of five areas that he believes the black community needs to address.
×