The NHS is collapsing

Nurses' stark warning as the turmoil gets worse, Under-fire Barclay plays down biggest ever strike

EXHAUSTED nurses fear they are witnessing the demise of the NHS as anger grows at the Government’s failure to tackle the crisis. 

Despite the biggest ever NHS strike, Health Secretary Steve Barclay played down the scale of industrial action on the first day nurses and ambulance staff walked out at the same time.

Talking at a picket line, A&E nurse Mark Boothroyd, 37, told the Mirror:

 “It feels like we are seeing the collapse of the NHS and the nursing profession.

“I’ve been nursing for 10 years and every year conditions have worsened.

“Inflation has driven pay down 20%. More and more nurses are leaving the profession. It’s at breaking point.”

A colleague speaking outside St Thomas’ Hospital in South London, Ben Trenwith, 31, said: “We want the respect our profession deserves.”

A&E sister Jessica Turnbull, 31, said every shift ends with “someone in tears” and “there’s assaults daily”.