A nurse on why she's striking & the NNUH's challenges in 5 numbers
A nurse explains why she and her colleagues voted to strike and we go NHS number crunching.
Hello,
Headlines have been dominated by strikes this week; nurses, paramedics, teachers, civil servants, postal and rail workers - I hope I haven't forgotten anyone.
The first half of today's edition is written by a nurse at the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) who explains why she and her colleagues voted to go on strike for the first time in their history.
As we revealed earlier this week, despite voting for strike action, Norfolk’s NHS will not be impacted by the walkouts on December 15th and 20th. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) told us that only half of the trusts where nurses voted to strike, would actually take action this time.
They said more would follow in January, if it didn't reach an agreement with the government over demands for a pay increase of 5% above inflation; that looks very unlikely at the moment so expect more strikes in the new year.
In the second half of the newsletter, we go number crunching to look at the huge pressures on the NNUH where 12,000 people have been waiting a year for treatment. We also speak to the hospital about what they're doing to give the best care they can this winter; plus our usual weekend guide is at the bottom. But first, let's hear from a nurse on the ground. 👇
