Nursing strikes 2022: 'She's clearly out of touch' - Sheffield nurses blast Therese Coffey after interview

Therese Coffey appeared on Sky News this morning and said she was “not anticipating” there will be any changes to the offer put to unions ahead of balloting over strike action.

A Sheffield Teaching Hospitals nurse, with nearly 20 years experience, said: “She’s clearly out of touch with the profession. Nurses haven’t had a significant pay rise in years.

"We are struggling to meet bills at the end of the month. For the Health Secretary to come out and say she can’t see a pay rise being offered, it’s outrageous. She can’t see how blinkered and demoralised the industry is at the moment.”

As the cost of living crisis worsens, there are warnings record numbers of nurses are leaving the profession, as their real-terms earnings fall by six per cent. The nurse who spoke with The Star today (October 11), said: “We don’t use the oven at the moment. We shouldn’t be forced to make a decision about whether we eat or heat our homes.

"My kids are putting their pajamas on with a onesie over the top. She needs to recognise the industry as a whole is demoralised and tired. We have just got out of the pandemic and most people haven’t seen the affect it has had on patients and people.

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"It’s not just pay, it’s conditions as well and it’s having a knock on effect to our services. We are having to nurse patients when there’s not enough staff or resources. That’s part of the reason we’re striking.

"For her to say you’re not worth it, it is absolutely outrageous.”

The Health Secretary’s comments came as the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) prepares to ballot 300,000 of it’s members if they want to strike. it will be the first time in their 106-year history this has happened. The nurse speaking to The Star is represented by UNISON, but says they are voting on industrial action at the end of October and the consensus is they will also strike.

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She said: “For nurses to strike, it is very much a last resort and the last thing we want to do. I’d like the public to get behind us and I think they are.”

Tracey McErlain-Burns, Vice-Chair of the Yorkshire and the Humber board of the RCN, said: “Most nurses would recognise we are not the only people feeling the pressure from the cost of living crisis, but I must emphasis that nursing is a skilled profession. The cost of living crisis is likely to continue reducing the number of nurses. There can be no doubt the cost of living crisis is making this worse.”

Ms McErlain-Burns urged the Health Secretary not to “close the door” to further discussions with the pay review body. She added: “Striking is the last resort but this is a moment in history where nurses do feel they may have to take strike action.”

Sky News asked Therese Coffey if her comment meant nurses striking was inevitable, to which she said: “That's a decision for nurses who decide how to vote in this next coming month."