This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/healthcare-network/2018/feb/02/nhs-staff-are-being-pushed-to-the-limits-our-protest-is-to-say-enough-is-enough
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| NHS staff are being pushed to the limits. Our protest is to say enough is enough | NHS staff are being pushed to the limits. Our protest is to say enough is enough |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| While we struggle to uphold a crumbling service, politicians insist all is well. Thousands are expected to gather this weekend to put them right | |
| Anonymous nurse | |
| Fri 2 Feb 2018 11.42 GMT | |
| Last modified on Fri 2 Feb 2018 11.44 GMT | |
| Share on Facebook | |
| Share on Twitter | |
| Share via Email | |
| View more sharing options | |
| Share on LinkedIn | |
| Share on Pinterest | |
| Share on Google+ | |
| Share on WhatsApp | |
| Share on Messenger | |
| Close | |
| I remember my first trip to A&E: I was four and had dislocated my thumb tripping on our garden step. I remember the pain shooting through my arm; I remember crying a lot; I remember the doctor telling me I was very brave, and being excited about getting my plaster cast signed at school. One thing I don’t remember is my parents worrying about paying the bill. Why? Because I was born in 1986, a child of the NHS – and now I’m fighting to save it. | I remember my first trip to A&E: I was four and had dislocated my thumb tripping on our garden step. I remember the pain shooting through my arm; I remember crying a lot; I remember the doctor telling me I was very brave, and being excited about getting my plaster cast signed at school. One thing I don’t remember is my parents worrying about paying the bill. Why? Because I was born in 1986, a child of the NHS – and now I’m fighting to save it. |
| Last summer, after three years of undergraduate study, I qualified as a nurse – my proudest achievement to date. I thought being a student was tough, but nothing quite prepared me for entering the health service workforce. | Last summer, after three years of undergraduate study, I qualified as a nurse – my proudest achievement to date. I thought being a student was tough, but nothing quite prepared me for entering the health service workforce. |
| Long hours, stress, physical demands and emotional strains I was prepared for; the battleground of NHS politics, however, less so. I could go on about the crippling workloads and chronic understaffing, but what would be the point? The politicians already know, don’t they? Apparently not. Better prepared, no crisis, more funding: these are among the bold statements made by politicians – but I wonder which service they visited that gave them that impression? | Long hours, stress, physical demands and emotional strains I was prepared for; the battleground of NHS politics, however, less so. I could go on about the crippling workloads and chronic understaffing, but what would be the point? The politicians already know, don’t they? Apparently not. Better prepared, no crisis, more funding: these are among the bold statements made by politicians – but I wonder which service they visited that gave them that impression? |
| I came into this profession to care, to expand my horizons, to give my best and be there for the people who need me the most. Yet sadly the future looks bleak. It feels like one uphill battle after another: axed bursaries, wrangling over junior doctors’ contracts, fighting the pay cap – NHS staff are being pushed to the limits working for a system that demands more and more yet gives less and less. | I came into this profession to care, to expand my horizons, to give my best and be there for the people who need me the most. Yet sadly the future looks bleak. It feels like one uphill battle after another: axed bursaries, wrangling over junior doctors’ contracts, fighting the pay cap – NHS staff are being pushed to the limits working for a system that demands more and more yet gives less and less. |
| This Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people are expected to march through London for the NHS in Crisis: Fix It Now emergency demo, part of a day of protest organised by the People’s Assembly Against Austerity and Health Campaigns Together. We are demanding an end to the winter crisis through cash injection, an end to the cap on NHS pay, and a commitment to increasing funding each year. We are saying no to cuts, to closures and to privatisation. | This Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people are expected to march through London for the NHS in Crisis: Fix It Now emergency demo, part of a day of protest organised by the People’s Assembly Against Austerity and Health Campaigns Together. We are demanding an end to the winter crisis through cash injection, an end to the cap on NHS pay, and a commitment to increasing funding each year. We are saying no to cuts, to closures and to privatisation. |
| It’s not all doom and gloom, however; this July, the NHS reaches its 70th birthday, and the People’s Assembly intends to celebrate. It is organising a national event recognising the achievements of all those who work for, contribute to and benefit from the nation’s greatest asset. An opportunity to celebrate and appreciate the accomplishments of the NHS is definitely something to look forward to. | It’s not all doom and gloom, however; this July, the NHS reaches its 70th birthday, and the People’s Assembly intends to celebrate. It is organising a national event recognising the achievements of all those who work for, contribute to and benefit from the nation’s greatest asset. An opportunity to celebrate and appreciate the accomplishments of the NHS is definitely something to look forward to. |
| We must, however, keep up the momentum, keep the pressure on and fight for the changes and support our NHS deserves and so desperately needs. We won’t go quietly; come on Saturday to make your voice heard, demand change and say enough is enough. | We must, however, keep up the momentum, keep the pressure on and fight for the changes and support our NHS deserves and so desperately needs. We won’t go quietly; come on Saturday to make your voice heard, demand change and say enough is enough. |
| The writer of this post is a newly qualified band 5 nurse | The writer of this post is a newly qualified band 5 nurse |
| Join the Healthcare Professionals Network to read more pieces like this. And follow us on Twitter (@GdnHealthcare) to keep up with the latest healthcare news and views. | Join the Healthcare Professionals Network to read more pieces like this. And follow us on Twitter (@GdnHealthcare) to keep up with the latest healthcare news and views. |
| If you’re looking for a healthcare job or need to recruit staff, visit Guardian Jobs. | If you’re looking for a healthcare job or need to recruit staff, visit Guardian Jobs. |
| Healthcare Network | |
| Policy | |
| NHS | |
| Health | |
| Nursing | |
| Health policy | |
| blogposts | |
| Share on Facebook | |
| Share on Twitter | |
| Share via Email | |
| Share on LinkedIn | |
| Share on Pinterest | |
| Share on Google+ | |
| Share on WhatsApp | |
| Share on Messenger | |
| Reuse this content |