NHS strikes: More than half of Mail readers say nurses have been wrong to walk

It’s an issue that has sparked a great deal of debate across the UK.

So were the up to 100,000 nurses who decided to strike yesterday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland right?

More than half of MailOnline readers said medical professionals were wrong. Read her take on the controversial strikes here…

More than half of MailOnline readers said medics got it wrong when they went on strike with 100,000 nurses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland yesterday

NEWCASTLE: Members of the RCN on the picket line outside the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle

Health Secretary Steve Barclay avoided going on strike with medics – he visited a hospital that did not support the action – where he insisted the government would not meet the union’s wage demands

The Royal College of Nursing has pledged industrial action for December 15th and 20th

This map shows the hospitals where the Royal College of Nursing will go on its first pay strikes on Thursday 15th and Tuesday 20th December

This chart shows the Royal College of Nursing’s calls for a pay rise of 5 per cent above inflation for the groups covered by its membership, which include health workers and nurses. Estimates based on NHS employer data

opinion poll

Do YOU ​​think the nurses were right to go on strike today?

• YES SIR 10953 votes
• NO 13374 votes
• DRAW 447 votes

The money must come from battered taxpayers, most of whom have little money left over. – sleepysam, London United Kingdom

Totally unrealistic demands. Considering their salary, pension, vacation time and other benefits, they are much better off than the average private sector worker. – vote2leave, United Kingdom

No! 70,000 appointments were cancelled. Now wasn’t the right time. – Ordinary Average Bloke, London, United Kingdom

Nobody’s wages have kept pace with inflation. – sparky56789, Bristol, United Kingdom

Certainly one has to accept that one will never earn high salaries in the public service. They go into public service to serve the public. If you want to earn a good salary, go and work for a bank or take a little risk and start your own business. – Jacky Jax Jackson, Hooverville, United Kingdom

I haven’t gotten a big raise in a few years. I work in the private sector. I could get another better paying job for longer hours but I love my job. Happiness at work is much better than drudgery – Normal Girl, Lincoln, UK

Give them a raise in exchange for full reform of the NHS. Get rid of non-jobs and waste and leverage the savings towards patient care and better pay. At the moment the NHS is a bottomless money pit that is unsustainable and will inevitably lead to its demise unless major changes are made. – Charlie Sylo, Solihull, United Kingdom

Who in the private sector gets such a big raise? No one! My husband got his usual 3% and works hard as an engineer. You’ll get a good pension – fuck off. Nurses are to be admired, yes, but you know the salary levels when you get into the job, tired of it all now -Carlie Wurly, United Kingdom

No, not for the amounts they’re asking for, they’ve already had a raise when other public sector workers didn’t. Everyone wants more money, but the current salary offer is better than most can expect in these trying times. – Bunny, Ipswich, United Kingdom

Nurses earn a comparable salary to NHS engineers at all levels. So why are they complaining? – Us, United Kingdom

I agree that nurses need higher wages, but 19% is way too high. The government gets more money because inflation means more tax revenue, but all they want to do is pay off the national debt. – Paul Davis, York, United Kingdom

I understand that people need money to live. I agree so much with the raise but the percentage they want is ridiculous. If they want more money, they get a job that pays more. -ian, United Kingdom

Yes, totally agree, underpaid and taken for granted. This government will help everyone but themselves – Peter Silencer, Udon Thani, Thailand

Many appointments and minor surgeries are canceled every day due to staff and bed shortages, now is the time! – raynad59, United Kingdom

Low paid nurses earn more along with the auxiliaries but also the police earn a lot more as they risk their lives for the public, yes they are some bad ones, it is up to an external body to get rid of them. – al500, Luton, United Kingdom

I’m voting for double the salary of every nurse, medical worker, ambulance, everyone who works in healthcare. They were there for us in COVID, now we are behind them. – Paul Illingworth, Saintes, France

I will support nurses to get a raise when teachers get the same ones. Including all the college and university teachers who have been pushed into zero-hour contracts to save money. – Velvet Hedgehog, Newcastle, United Kingdom

Absolutely people work to build their lives and the finances don’t exactly make ends meet, many don’t even make it. Time for change in this country, enough is enough! – Exactly that, Birmingham, United Kingdom

Total. The fat cats get their bonuses and raises. It’s time for people to stand up and be heard. power to the people. – Emi0001, United Kingdom

In other related news…

Up to six in 10 routine surgeries have been canceled in hospitals during the biggest ever strike by NHS nurses, health leaders confirm

Nurses on the picket line are revealing exactly why they are striking…but others warn they have a “moral duty” not to abandon patients

No 10 denies that the Chief Nursing Officer for England, Dame Ruth May, spoke for the Government when she appeared to support 100,000 striking nurses