I've been a nurse for 40 years - here's how to heal the NHS

The recent industrial action is about so much more than just pay (Getty)

- LOUISE DEWSBURY

"The pandemic put nurses in the spotlight. The recent strikes have turned that spotlight on again, but the industrial action is about so much more than just pay.

Take, for example, recent news about the raising of the state pension age. There are fields of nursing where nurses can

potentially and do currently) work into their late sixties; roles that allow for sitting down, regular and guaranteed breaks, no night shifts rotas that enable sufficient rest between shifts. For older nurses working in acute busy areas, where none of those things are realistic, it would be very physically and mentally challenging. Many of us would be forced to reduce our contracted working hours to protect our health. Most would need to make further significant changes to their standard of living to manage the resulting drop in income.

I have just over 40 years’ experience as a nurse in the NHS. My experience has always been in acute emergency services. I did the traditional hands on” training in the 1980s not a degree, not even a diploma. With my registered general nurse qualification, I progressed eventually to matron and lead nurse of a service in a large NHS hospital in central London. I‘ve seen what is possible in the NHS with sufficient resources used in the right way and managed by a small group of can do” leaders.

I have spent my career in large, relatively well-funded hospitals. I have seen basic working conditions steadily deteriorate over the past couple of decades, the implications of which apply to staff in many clinical roles nurses, doctors, physios.