#nhs strike

[just-some-moss-and-bones]

people see the economy and society in general coming to a halt and don't think the workers should be payed more and instead think they should just stop striking

it's the lack of critical thinking like yes we all want the strikes to stop and how do we get there ? their answer is just stop. the right answer us listen to why their striking, pay them, protect them. why is that so hard. I just don't get it

[tweetingukpolitics]

[letstalkbeautyuk]

Hearing that our wonderful Nurses & NHS workers are not getting the salaries they need in order to live makes us very, very sad. we have added a few badges to the shop, to show that you support their right to strike action! https://buff.ly/3DVcKAY

[enbycrip]

Stuff I am finding difficult about the nurse’s strike:

There is a huge outpouring of stuff about “our NHS” and “our nurses” which is both brilliant, and unfortunately also currently being used to really beat and dogpile with abuse anyone who speaks up about shitty treatment, including medical disableism, they’ve received from nurses and other NHS staff.

Medical disableism is *incredibly* prevalent and leads to serious issues for a huge number of (I’d say likely most) disabled people. This partially reflects the disableism rife in the UK public - nurses and other healthcare workers are not immune to the barrage of right wing political messaging - and partially some serious structural issues in medical education.

I 100% support the nurse’s strike - because they are workers, and people, who deserve decent pay and conditions in their working life. It is a very difficult job, not only due to the emotional labour required in a caring role, but because they are dealing with an enormous amount of politically-motivated chaos as the Tories systematically underfund the NHS in an attempt to destroy it. I 100% support and approve their action to fight that bullshit and improve their situation.

However; this does not make nurses either “angels” or above reproach. It makes them humans suffering difficult conditions who deserve support to better those conditions - like other workers facing capitalist bullshit and exploitation.

It does not change that nurses, like other healthcare workers, and other carers, are in a power relationship with their patients which puts them in a position uniquely capable of abusing those patients. Particularly when those patients are already physically and/or emotionally vulnerable due to illness and/or injury, and/or they belong to already marginalised groups such as BIPOC, queer folk, and/or disabled folk.

It takes a lot of care and awareness not to abuse those power relations, and plenty of nurses, other healthcare workers, and other carers, don’t. They often perpetuate the systemic abuses marginalised people face, and sometimes they abuse vulnerable people on an individual basis too.

All these facts exist *together*. *All* of these things are true.

I’ve seen a *lot* of people raising abuses and disableism they’ve suffer be hit with “what, you want us to be the US?” This is such a fallacy in so many ways - notably 1) the issue of medical disableism is systemic, and fucking *hell* it exists in the US 2) disabled people tend to live in poverty and thus are in an even worse position in the US.

But most of all, it’s a fallacy because *exposing abuses within and criticising a system does not mean wanting to destroy it*. It’s about *wanting to improve it*.

It’s an example of the same issue that constantly arises with climate change protestors being screamed at if they ever use a car. It is entirely possible, indeed, essential to live within a system and yet *desperately* attempt to improve it.

I’m asking everyone who sees this to:

1) support the nurse’s strike, because it’s *essential* to support a large group of low-paid workers fighting to improve their working conditions

2) speak about the fact that it is possible to do this *and* want to improve how nurses treat patients, especially marginalised ones

3) actively go in to support any marginalised folks you see being dogpiled and abused for speaking up about medical disableism and medical and caregiver abuse.

Part of how systemic disableism operates on a social level is to treat anyone caring for disabled folks as “angels”, above reproach. Whether they’re paid to do so or not.

What this perpetuates is

1) disabled people being conditioned to accept any abuse they receive. The message is “be grateful you’re not just being left for dead”. Which is ridiculous. Disabled people are people. We deserve decent lives free from abuse like every other person.

2) people in those professions being conditioned to accept low pay and shitty working conditions. Because they’re “vocations” you do because “you’re an angel” who doesn’t think about money. Which is also ridiculous. Workers in every profession deserve decent pay and conditions for the work they do, and carers, systemically, don’t. Carers, systemically, are abused - they work long hours, for crap pay, and often in shitty conditions.

As a disabled person, I *want* carers to be paid and treated well. Because I’m a decent human being who wants other humans to live decent lives, AND because I think carers who are paid and treated well do their jobs of caring for vulnerable and marginalised people better.

Also: FFS, if you have any ability to do so, put pressure on Labour to actively support the strikes or change their bloody name.

[multimousenette]

Mum’s telling me about the strike today (actually picketing), apparently the postmen came to help them protest (starting chants, air horns etc cos nurses don’t really know how to strike haha) and simmons (semi local bakery) sent cake up as well, glad to see some solidarity!!

[blatantlybluntblog]

Jodie Langford - Take your money

Fresh and relevant lyrics from the Northern wordsmith's infectious track themed around the state of the country, which challenges the UK’s big decision makers on how they oppress the less fortunate for their own gain.

This is from her debut EP which explores the complexities of human feelings.

[msclaritea]

Lorraine King has made at least 4 or 5 posts to spread this nonstory. Below is from some innocuous site called PopTingz:

The main thing Ms Anastasia and King have in common, besides believing Reperations By Blackmail is acceptable, which can only succeed in causing resentment between Barbados and UK?

Both are Markle stans. It was so-called Feminists that went after and continue to badmouth and threaten Johnny Depp. Marsha Proudman, an Amber Heard supporter also tried to go after Benedict. It's been a bunch of supposed legitimate mainstream that ran that harassing, yellow journalism article.

When a public figure has so many trolls and mouthpieces ready to come after you just for having a different opinion, engaging in mudslinging, that public figure is NOT a victim. Everyone saw how bad Heard's p.r. got.

Meantime...

[schrankartoons]

My cartoon for The Times of 12/8/23. More junior doctor strikes add to the waiting lists for treatment on the NHS. In the meantime a fire has destroyed the much loved Crooked House pub in the Midlands.

[janealexandra]

The Tory government would rather see people with treatable illnesses suffer indefinitely than pay healthcare staff a living wage

[andysouldancer]

May Day Solidarity 2

A quick visit to support the nurses on their picket line today. #NHSstrikes #NHSCrisis #NHSStrike #NHSPAY #Solidarity #SupportTheStrikes #leftwing #socialism #SocialistSunday

[totallyhussein-blog]

Stand in solidarity with MSF workers in Turkiye and Syria

Following the powerful earthquakes that hit southern Turkey (officially renamed Türkiye) and northwestern Syria on February 6, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams working in northwestern Syria have mobilized with local partners to respond to the increasing needs in the area. MSF also has a team in Gaziantep, Turkey, near the epicenter of the first quake.

More than 5,000 people have been killed and more than 20,000 injured across both countries, according to estimates by the United Nations humanitarian affairs agency. Sadly, an MSF staff member was found dead under the rubble of his house in Idlib, Syria. Other colleagues have lost their family members.

Supporting overwhelmed hospitals in northern Syria

“We are very shocked and saddened by the impact of this disaster on the thousands of people touched by it, including our colleagues and their families,” said Sebastien Gay, MSF head of mission in Syria.

“Health facilities are impacted and overwhelmed, and medical personnel in northern Syria [are] working around the clock to respond to the huge numbers of wounded arriving to the facilities,” said Gay. "[In] the first hours [of the disaster], our teams treated around 200 wounded and we received 160 casualties in the facilities and the clinics that we run or support in northern Idlib. Our ambulances are also deployed to assist [people].”

MSF provided immediate support to 23 health facilities across Idlib and Aleppo governorates by donating emergency medical kits and supporting them with medical staff to reinforce their teams. MSF teams have donated blankets and essential life kits to displaced people in the region. The earthquakes destroyed hundreds of houses, leaving thousands of people without homes. People are staying outside despite the snow due to fear of aftershocks that have continued throughout the day.

Mounting an international response

“The needs are very high in northwestern Syria as this [earthquake] adds a dramatic layer for vulnerable [people] who are still struggling after many years of war,” said Gay. “The massive consequences of this disaster will require a [scaled up] international aid effort.” The number of deaths and injuries are increasing by the hour.  

The majority of the wounded are concentrated in the cities of the northern part of northwest Syria, such as Al-Bab, Afrin, and Azaz. MSF is supporting at least eight hospitals with supplies for trauma surgery. In Turkey, MSF is working with the International Blue Crescent, as they did after the earthquake that hit Izmir in 2020.

Urgent surgical intervention is just one component of MSF’s response. “We have to identify the chronic diseases that are also collateral damage in this kind of intervention,” said Ricardo Martínez, logistics coordinator of the emergency unit at MSF. “Mental health is another pillar of our intervention because we know from experience that it's crucial to start these activities immediately.”

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO HELP DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS WITH THEIR LIFESAVING WORK IN TURKIYE AND SYRIA.

[tweetingukpolitics]

[letstalkbeautyuk]

❤️ iCare badges - great for hospital staff and carers

[enbycrip]

Why is my Duolingo Latin lesson making a more savage comment on how utterly horrendously the Tories are treating NHS staff (and other vital public servants) than Keir Starmer?

[whoops-im-obsessed]

Ambulance Strike Days

Hey! More UK ambulance service strikes are in the works. As always, safeguards are in place to make these days as safe as possible and not everyone nor every union is striking at the same time. The following are all the confirmed ambulance strikes I know of coming up, please check your individual area:

10th February - frontline staff and call handlers

22nd February - frontline staff

6th March - frontline staff

7th March - nurses

20th March - frontline staff

On these days the service will be under even more pressure than usual so please, please avoid calling 999 if you can. Use alternative services whenever you can, unless someone is actively dying 999 should be your last resort!! Stay safe, stay informed, stay supportive.