NHS strikes in Birmingham: Do Brummies support industrial action by nurses & paramedics?

The NHS is currently in a state of crisis. Unions have stated that NHS strikes could continue throughout the year if current plans to raise staff salaries by only 2% go ahead.

With a backlog of 7.2 million patients, there is pressure for the NHS to use its budget to prioritise providing care to those awaiting treatment. The government has ruled out increasing current offers in a bid to exercise restraint over public sector spending. An intense standoff ensues which could bring the NHS to crisis point. So are people in Birmingham supportive of nurses and paramadics going on strike? And what do they think is the future of our health service?

BirminghamWorld visited the city centre to ask everyday people on the streets for their opinion. You can watch all their comments in the video at the top of our story and read a selection below. Do let us know what you think too.

Graham says: “I fully support the strike because I feel that the NHS, well, we know that it’s a breaking point. But there’s such a kind of strain on the staff, and on patients as well. And, there comes a point where it’s just not possible to kind of continue and try and create the illusion of everything being right.”

Gerrard says: “I don’t think the nurses on bigger wages should get a pay rise at the moment, because we’re struggling on money. I do believe the cleaners and the people under lower wages should get some more money to help them with the cost of living. And that’s pretty much how I think about the NHS strike”

Joe says: “And so I honestly believe that the NHS is eventually just going to privatise like it is in America - a private health care system. Because the way we’re doing it at the moment - how they’re overworking staff overworking staff and they’re under paying them - I think eventually it’s going to come to a point where they realise they just don’t have the resources.”