Commenting on the latest NHS England figures published today (Thursday) showing unprecedented demand on the health service , UNISON head of health Helga Pile said:
“NHS staff are stretched to breaking point, patients are enduring dangerous delays, and the system is buckling under unprecedented demand.
“Ambulances are queuing outside A&E for hours, while hospital and community staff are working long hours in a desperate attempt to keep services running during the challenging quad-demic.
“Despite the tireless efforts of health workers across the system to speed up ambulance handovers, find safe ways to discharge patients from hospitals and keep ever sicker patients cared for at home, the situation is out of control. The strain on staff of seeing how badly patients are suffering is enormous.
“Recent government announcements on pay, delays to salary structure reform and to the start of any real change in social care have left staff feeling increasingly demoralised. But health workers are key to plans to get the NHS back on its feet and ministers need to keep them on side.”
Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union and the largest union in the social care sector, with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.
Media contacts:
Fatima Ayad M: 07508 080383 E: f.ayad@unison.co.uk
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: press@unison.co.uk
The article Health workers are key to plans to get the NHS back on its feet first appeared on the UNISON National site.
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