100,000 nurses strike in England

The strikes will last until 20:00 local time on Thursday and then resume on December 20. The reason is wages and working conditions. Nurses have rejected the government’s latest salary proposal, demanding a 19 percent pay rise.

– I’m striking because the government refuses to listen to our real and legitimate concerns, nurse Harry Eccles tells the BBC.

But not everyone is on strike and some care is maintained. Critical cancer care, dialysis, intensive care and neonatal and pediatric intensive care will not be closed by the strike – but much of the less intensive care is expected to be affected.

Nurses from England, Wales and Northern Ireland have joined the biggest strike in the history of nursing in England’s public health system. They are estimated to number up to 100,000.

Responsible for 20 patients

Another nurse told The Guardian newspaper that when she works in the cardiology unit at Bristol Royal Infirmary, she is rarely fully staffed.

– As a nurse, I am often responsible for 20 patients. It’s stressful. You are running like a burnt rat, she says.

The patients most affected by the strikes were those with booked appointments. A woman tells the BBC that her husband’s cancer treatment was delayed by a week because of the strike. She supports the striking health workers but at the same time worries about her husband’s health.

– There are some treatments, like my husband’s treatments, that I think should not be delayed any longer, she says.