Under Pressure

I think the whole nursing community and beyond was deeply saddened by the death of the nurse from the Edward VII Hospital following the prank phone call from the Austrailian DJs.

What this shows, and I think this point has been missed, is the immense pressure that individual nurse are under. It would be wrong to speculate on an individual case but throughout the nursing profession there are dedicated, caring individuals whose first thought is always for the patient, and it is this that management play on as our terms and conditions are slowly eroded.

Since the 'election' of the Cameron/Clegg government (please note I use the word 'election' incorrectly) there are 5,000 fewer nurses working in the NHS, we are still in a pay freeze, our pensions are more expensive and for less return, staff are constantly unable to provide the nursing care that patients need and deserve, and yet there still remains the unwillingness of the nursing profession to take industrial action, citing patients will suffer if we do. I believe that patients are suffering because we don't.

On a more local issue, I blogged last week that the Trust had issued what were effectively 'complusary redundancy notices'. Well, I am happy to report, that due to UNISON's intervention, these notices have been withdrawn and we have made the Trust realise that it is not above the law.

Until next week,

LHS,

Bennie