Nurse hits out at row over military help for struggling NI hospitals

A statement on Facebook sparked a backlash from under-pressure healthcare workers, with many threatening to resign from the union over the controversy.

A band 4 support worker on £21-24,000 would be paying around £13 a month in membership subs, while a band 5 registered nurse on £25-30,000 would be paying just over £16.

Union regional secretary Patricia McKeown later issued a new statement, saying the first had been "misunderstood" and apologised for the "stress and hurt" it caused.

"To be absolutely clear, Unison has not objected to assistance from military personnel," she said.

Mrs Coulter (43), who has been a nurse since 2006, said she and her colleagues "will happily take any help that is going".

"That it was being turned into an orange and green issue is what really made me cross," she added.

"This really is a life or death issue. Recently we received help from the ambulance service in the south - nobody said a word about that, and why would they?

"We're more than happy for any assistance and it has to be the same with the military. They are used to working in high-pressure environments, so they are ideally placed, plus they have medical training and medical backgrounds."

Mrs Coulter, a mother of two young children whose husband works in administration at the City Hospital, said she felt the health service was "very lucky" during the first lockdown in March, but now things were much different.

"During the first lockdown people were sticking to the rules rigidly, our numbers were very low, and for a while it was manageable," she explained.

"But this time people have become fatigued by all the lockdown measures and they don't really see the implications of how their actions impact on patients. Not just Covid patients, it impacts all our patients.

"I think we need to go back to where we were before, where it is really only essential journeys that are allowed, because looking at how many cars are on the road, it doesn't seem to be the case. You know what's coming, what we're going to have to face.

"I haven't slept properly since March, to be honest. None of us are sleeping properly. You're just constantly worried: am going to bring something in to my patients? Am I going to bring something home to my family? We're under an immense amount of pressure, not just physically, but psychologically. It's very demanding, that's why when I heard about Robin Swann asking for Army help I was absolutely delighted."

In response to Unison's initial statement, DUP MP Sammy Wilson said nurses "will be appalled" at the "inexplicable" position Unison had taken.

"Whoever in Unison decided to complain about this sensible proposal is a disgrace and should be challenged by those members of Unison who are interested in doing their jobs and not playing politics with our health service," he added.

Pat Cullen of the Royal College of Nursing said staff had been under "immense pressure" and if additional resources were available, nursing staff will support their use.

Dr Cathy Jack, chief executive of the Belfast Trust, also welcomed the deployment of military personnel as she revealed they will be band 4 healthcare assistants, who can carry out tasks such as taking blood and fitting cannulas, and will support staff working in the Nightingale Hospital.

She said: "Can I just be very clear. My priority is to provide safe, effective and compassionate care to as many patients as possible, and indeed to support my staff to do so, and I am very proud of the care and compassion that my staff have delivered to patients to date throughout this pandemic.

"This is another group of highly trained individuals that will support my staff to support the patients and deliver the care they need, and I welcome that."

Belfast Telegraph