Nurses' strike: Why young NHS workers are voting 'yes'

NHS nurses are expected to ballot successful favour of the biggest-ever onslaught enactment their assemblage has seen.

Unions accidental nurses aren't paid capable arsenic outgo of surviving rises overtake wages, and they look expanding unit arsenic much and much colleagues quit.

The authorities has pleaded with unit not to onslaught for the involvement of patients, but wellness workers accidental their existent workloads are dangerously high.

BBC Newsbeat spoke to young nurses to find retired astir their experiences.

Student caregiver Ellie McNicol is among those supporting aboriginal onslaught action.

The 22-year-old lone started her people astatine the University of Bristol past twelvemonth but says she has already seen capable to cognize things request to change.

"Lots of mistakes are happening that shouldn't beryllium owed to staffing pressures," she says.

"I've seen it first-hand.

"We get a batch of unit enactment connected us."

Ellie was inspired to get into nursing aft caring for her member erstwhile helium was successful an mishap a mates of years ago.

"If I didn't consciousness truthful powerfully astir wanting to assistance radical I'd see dropping out," she says.

"I knew it was going to beryllium hard. It's communal cognition that nurses don't get fractional of what they deserve."

As a student, she doesn't get paid for her clip moving connected wards but receives a bursary to assistance with her question costs.

We won't cognize if the onslaught is decidedly going up until the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) announces the effect of its ballot this week.

There has been disapproval from immoderate astir the hazard to patients and the authorities has urged unit not to down tools.

Ellie understands the concerns, but says: "If nurses consciousness similar their lone enactment is to strike, it indispensable beryllium thing truly big.

"When it's Royal Mail, it's conscionable people's post, not their lives connected the line," she says.

With the outgo of surviving increasing, she argues nurses person to look aft themselves arsenic overmuch arsenic they look aft others.

Luke, who works successful Wales, says helium voted to onslaught aft six years successful the job.

"The measurement of enactment and the level of work is unbelievable for the wealth you're on," says Luke, who didn't privation to stock his afloat name.

He's seen his outgoings sprout up by £400 a month, and says he's having to prime up other play shifts to marque ends meet.

"How is frozen wage going to assistance maine woody with that?" helium asks. "My occupation is present unaffordable."

Although precocious numbers of nurses are choosing to permission the profession, Luke says helium is truthful passionate astir his vocation helium would not see quitting.

"None of america are successful this for the money," helium says. "This is not a vocation you spell successful to to get rich.

"It's not conscionable a occupation you bash - you springiness a portion of yourself to it."

Choosing to onslaught was a "preventative measure", helium says, insisting wards wouldn't beryllium near unsafe connected onslaught days but adding the prime of attraction was already slipping.

"It truly is beingness and death," helium says.

"Patients are already suffering due to the fact that we're struggling to springiness them the attraction they request and deserve."

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