Nurses in Dorset to vote on strike action this month

That is the message given today by the chair of the Royal College of Nursing congress, who said nurses will not take the decision lightly if they vote for action when a ballot, opened on Thursday, closes in November. 

BJ Waltho, a former nurse at University Hospitals Dorset, retired from frontline NHS work after more than five decades last year. 

Now, as the chair of congress for RCN, she is demanding the government act now on pay and conditions for nurses. 

Read more: Bournemouth and Poole hospitals are under 'extreme pressure'

Confident the RCN will get the majority needed for a strike, BJ said: “We have had a real time drop in our salaries whilst our work has got harder. Because of this, nurses are leaving the profession and we are not getting any new recruits.

Royal College of Nurses chair BJ Waltho (Image: NQ)

“The fact is nurses could go into other industries and earn more money for less stress or pressures. We know at the RCN we need to attract more nurses and retain them. 

“It’s not just about money; the safety of our patients is being compromised right now. If we agree to strike action, we do not go on strike the very next day. We won’t be like the postal workers or the rail workers, we will hold a service similar to what we provide at Christmas.”

Read more: BJ Waltho retires from nursing at University Hospital Dorset

BJ said nurses in Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset are more disadvantaged when it comes to the cost of living because of higher house prices in our area.

Nurses in Royal Bournemouth Hospital

“When you look at rent and house prices, you see why people may move to Southampton or other urban areas because they get more for their money,” she said. 

“Nurses are not just worried about future; they are worried about today. They can see the mass vacancies.  

“The biggest stress nurses have is about not giving the care. That is the stress every nurse is facing every day. 

“With a combination of a growing workload and shrinking real time salaries, nurses are now saying enough is enough. 

“Two thirds of the public support us and I am really proud they know we have not taken the decision lightly. 

“We worked so hard during the pandemic. And for the government to treat us like this is unacceptable.” 

BJ adds nurses are working many unpaid hours, with some even having to use foodbanks. She’s even heard of nurses who can’t afford the fuel needed to get to work. 

“How is this right?” BJ added. “I would recommend anyone to be a nurse, but it is hard work right now.”