A dedicated nurse was in floods of tears as she handed in her notice to leave the job she loves - before u-turning and joining the strike.
Thousands of nurses across England are going on strike as a bitter pay dispute with the Government continues but the Health Secretary has warned “unaffordable” wage rises “will mean cutting patient care”.
Jade McCauley was due to start a completely new job tomorrow which would have bumped her yearly salary up by £8,000.
However, the community nurse at Northern General Hospital in Sheffield had a change of due to her passion for helping patients.
The 34-year-old spoke to the Mirror on the picket line outside the hospital today.
She also raised concerns about patient safety and called on Rishi Sunak to "spend a day in our shoes".
“I am really worried about patient safety," she said.
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"The PM needs to come and spend a day in our shoes!
"Today should have been my last day. I was leaving the NHS but I just couldn’t do it because I love my patients and my team.
"There were a lot of tears over it," Jade continued.
"I was crying handing my notice in but it was an 8,000 pay rise. In the end my passion for nursing won but others are leaving."
Jade's colleague Nikki Wells - also on strike - added that she no longer feels pride for the NHS.
The 54-year-old community nurse said: “I’ve worked in Canada and America and I used to be so proud of the NHS I would boast about it.
"I feel I can’t do that now!”
Asked why she joined the action today, she said: "Basically, for the younger nurses, really. I just see nurses leaving. People have threatened in the past but I'm physically seeing nurses leaving."
She said examples of jobs colleagues have taken up include flight attendants and at the city council.
"It just makes me really sad," she continued.
"I think my hourly rate is about £14 something an hour."
That compares to £40 an hour one NHS recruitment firm is offering agency nurses to cover over strike days.
Nikki said: "I just think we feel undervalued and not appreciated.
"Especially with what's happened with Covid and how hard we all worked and how stressful it all was. I just really don't feel the government care about us."
Nursing staff from more than 55 NHS trusts are taking part in industrial action today and Thursday following two days of action in December.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has announced that two further, bigger strikes will be held next month, while the GMB union is expected to announce further ambulance worker strike dates on Wednesday afternoon.
Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said while he recognises the cost of living pressures on NHS staff, “unaffordable pay rises” will stoke inflation.
He said: “If we provide unaffordable pay rises to NHS staff, we will take billions of pounds away from where we need it most. Unaffordable pay hikes will mean cutting patient care and stoking the inflation that would make us all poorer.”
The NHS is reminding patients to attend all their usual appointments unless they have been contacted, and to seek urgent care if needed during the strikes.
NHS England said patients should use services “wisely” by going to NHS 111 online but continuing to call 999 in a life-threatening emergency.
