Nurses across Bournemouth and Poole were out in force for the first day of strikes by members of the Royal College of Nursing.

Pickets were stationed outside both the Royal Bournemouth Hospital and Poole General Hospital, with loud support coming from passing motorists, ambulance crews and fire engines.

Nurses at the pickets made it clear that it was not just pay that had bought them out to strike.

Bournemouth Echo:

Rory Fletcher said it is about safety, for patients and staff.

“This is the last straw; this is the last resort. We’ve been campaigning for safe staffing levels across the wards for years, this isn’t something new.

“We don’t take this lightly, it’s not that we don’t care, it’s because we care that were out here.

Liz McKnight agreed and said that there are thousands of nurses leaving every year, over conditions and pay.

“Years of injustice, we’ve never been paid well, and nobody takes any notice. Nurses are leaving in droves; they cannot do the job. We’re permanently short staffed,” she said.

“You can earn more in Lidl than you can as a nurse nowadays.”

Bournemouth Echo:

Carmen Graham said that she wants pay to rise in order to bring new nurses into the profession, to ensure adequate staffing for years to come.

She said: “I’ve got three children and I want them to be able to access the health service like I did as a child, and I’m scared about the repercussions in the future for my children.”

Nurses across the conurbation have called for the government to act, in response to their strikes.

Jonathan Beebee, a professional lead for the Royal College of Nursing, said they would end the strikes today, if they could.

“If we could end it today, we would, if the government open conversations with us but they’re not happy to talk at the moment.”

He added: “I would like to say its real credit to the hospital here, they’ve been really supportive of the staff and have been behind it.”

Danielle Tomlinson said: “This government needs to listen to us; they need to act. Our pay isn’t reflected on the accountability and responsibilities we have as nurses.”

Hilary Fenton Harris has been working at Poole Hospital for 44 years.

“Over the years things have got worse and worse, and nobody’s listening to us,” she said.

“We’ve got to send a message to the government that nurses have had enough.”

Bournemouth Echo:

Nursing students at the strike said they are being used to fill in gaps in staff shortages, and that this has impacted their learning.

Justine Ray said she has worked as a nurse for 34 years and has never seen morale or staffing levels this low.

She said: “I feel concerned that if I got ill now what care I would have and what care my family would have.”