Recently the Health Select Committee led by Tory MP Sarah Wollaston, published a report into the nursing crisis. They noted that there has been a significant increase in the number of nursing vacancies. The latest figures show we are lacking 40,000 nurses. This alarms me, and I am sure it does you too. But where is the government’s plan to nurture and repair the nursing workforce? Where is their panic and worry about who will care for the nation unless they address these pertinent issues? The government’s short response stated we have 'XXX' more nurses on our wards. And that was it. This response is so robotic and lacking in substance. The nursing crisis is not an issue that can be pushed aside, this is the difference to patients of being able to get care or not. 

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In the last seven years my future, your future and our children's future has been taken away from us by the Tories. Instead we have lived through years of tough, unnecessary austerity which has been driven by ideology not the needs of our economy. 

A historic decision was made by the Royal College of Nursing to complete an indicative ballot for industrial action of its members regarding the 1% pay cap in recent weeks. The poll has opened and has caused a furore of energy and excitement. For too long we have been the silent workforce, going that extra mile and keeping the NHS afloat on our good will. That good will has now ran completely dry after years of poor treatment by the Conservative government. Since 2010 we have been completely under appreciated, we have lost over 14% in real terms pay, our bursaries for the future of our profession have been cut, our safe staffing ratios abolished before they even got started and the national health service that we all love underfunded making our jobs so very hard. Our patients care has been affected, people are being denied care and treatment, patients are waiting hours on trolleys. We have been pushed and our good will has been taken advantage of for too long. 

Despite clear warnings from both staff and trade unions on the detrimental effect of the pay restraint on NHS staff, the government chose not to listen in their budget this week. Since 2010 our pay has been capped. With the rises in living costs, especially in London, it is estimated we have lost 14% in real terms pay.

NHS staff have been pushed into hardship. In a Unison survey of 21,000 health workers, 11% of respondents stated they had pawned their possessions. Moreover, the Royal College of Nursing reported a huge increase of nurses using food banks and working extra hours just to be able to pay the bills.

Recently the pay restraint was debated in parliament with cross party support for NHS staff after the petition I started gained more than 105,000 signatures. The Health Minister MP Phillip Dunne stated that in regards to the pay cap he 'hopes this is something there will be movement on in the future.'

With the NHS bursary scrapped we have seen a 23%  drop in applications for nursing this year. Combine this with 40% of nurses heading to retirement, and a national nursing shortage of 24 000, it is clear to see nursing is heading for a 'perfect storm'. Morale is at rock bottom and staff are feeling demoralised.