nurse

BBC Question Time: Nurse takes apart the government over NHS strikes

Spread the love

https://leftfootforward.org/2023/09/bbc-question-time-nurse-takes-apart-the-government-over-nhs-strikes/

‘The government needs to get real and address the situation.’

A nurse nails the government's refusal to negotiate in NHS strikes. BBC Question Time
A nurse nails the government’s refusal to negotiate in NHS strikes. BBC Question Time

A nurse has been praised after taking apart the Tory government’s response to ongoing NHS strikes, as she defended the strikes over poor pay and conditions.

Junior doctors and consultants chose to take joint industrial action for the first time in history this week, with more walkouts planned across October.

While Tory MP and panellist Kevin Hollinrake MP sought to defend the government’s refusal to negotiate over pay, the nurse exposed just how awful the government’s position is.

Joining in on the debate on what should be done differently to resolve the doctors pay dispute, the audience member said: “I’m a nurse, I voted to strike in the last ballot, when I’m balloted again, I will vote to strike again, and I’ll do that continually until pay talks open and they’re realistic.

“We are striking for pay, we are striking because we feel undervalued but we are also striking for patient safety, so when we’re accused of putting patients at risk, I say, patients are at risk every single day of the week.

“We’ve got 7 million people on waiting lists, we’ve got 140,000 vacancies, people are dying on waiting lists, people are dying in the back of ambulances, and this cannot go on.

″The government needs to get real and address the situation.”

…

https://leftfootforward.org/2023/09/bbc-question-time-nurse-takes-apart-the-government-over-nhs-strikes/

More at Left Foot Forward blog

Continue ReadingBBC Question Time: Nurse takes apart the government over NHS strikes

How the NHS can save millions

Spread the love

NHS sign

Firstly, I have to admit that this is not my idea but a friend’s. This idea is proposed seriously and I hope that it is taken up.

The NHS wastes millions on temp agencies. Let’s look at some figures: Let’s assume that some medical professional e.g. a nurse, is employed as a temp at £24 an hour. The temp agency will typically take a 40% cut of the fee they charge: £16 for each hour that medical professional works – the NHS gets charged £40 an hour. If s/he works a 8-hour shift the temp agency makes £128. If s/he works a 40-hour week, the temp agency makes £640. The temp agency is making ridiculous amounts of money for possibly as little as 10 minutes’ work – only one short phone call and running the payroll.

Image of Accident and emergency

Here’s how to save that money. The NHS operates as a temp agency and does it for far more reasonable fees of 5% or less. They only need to cover their costs – they don’t need to make a profit for anyone. The medical professional still gets paid £24 an hour but the NHS gets charged only slightly more than that instead of £40.

6/8/15: This article needs more research. NHS operates a ‘framework’ whereby agency fees are limited or capped. Temporary staff are also employed ‘off-framework’ e.g. when staff are needed urgently.

Continue ReadingHow the NHS can save millions