Victoria Mckeown-
A number of NHS staff have gathered outside Downing Street this evening to protest the government’s handling of the pandemic.
The protesting staff wore PPE material with a sign which read “You failed the public, you failed the NHS, Boris must go”, the five campaigners arrived at 8pm, the scheduled start time of the Clap For Heroes.
ICU nurse Ameera Sheikh told reporters: “It’s been very difficult, very challenging.
“We’re stressed out and very anxious, there’s a lot of PTSD amongst staff, staff are going off sick … leaving nurses very short, which increases the risk of patients deteriorating and ultimately patients dying.
“This is the Government’s fault, they need to take responsibility, they need to provide us with better pay and better working conditions.”
Cops
Cops arrived to disperse the group, who were reminded of the national lockdown measures.
This is the Government’s fault, they need to take responsibility, they need to provide us with better pay and better working conditions.”
Ms Sheikh went on: “It’s 8pm, it’s Thursday, it’s Clap for Carers, whilst we appreciate the claps that the public are doing and some of them are staying at home, we do not appreciate our Government clapping for us because essentially they are the reason why we are in this position.
“They’ve not planned at all and they’ve had months to plan ahead and they’ve left us in such a terrible position.”
High Budget
The British government has in the past announced a very high budget for the Nhs, making it perplexing why Nhs staff are feeling abandoned. There are questions as to whether the funds allocated out is being spread properly by Nhs authorities among their staff, or whether the Nhs is claiming to have insufficient funds to operate.
Funding for the NHS in the UK has risen by an average of 3.7% a year in real terms since it was introduced in 1948.
NHS England held a budget of £114 billion for the 208-2019 period. The majority of this budget (£75.6 billion) was also allocated to Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs).There have been questions of whether there may have been some mismanagement by Nhs authorities or whether there the needs of the Nhs simply outstrips the provision offered.
Both The Nhs and PHE England was contacted for comment. were contacted for comment
Image;PA