Thread by @Rachael_Swindon

Hospitals in the Capital are overwhelmed.

This isn’t an exaggeration.

Here’s why:

Successive Conservative governments have intentionally underfunded the NHS.

It’s all on record. 1/13

Successive Conservative governments have cut the number of hospital beds, despite a growing and ageing population.

This results in the number of patients exceeding the number of available beds.

You don’t need to have a PhD to work this out. 2/13

Successive Conservative governments failed to recruit anywhere near the number of nurses & doctors needed

They scrapped the nurses bursaries, yes, they charge you if you want to give 40+ years nursing others.

Do I need to explain the consequences of understaffing? 3/13

Successive Conservative governments have dished out obscene amounts of contracts to private companies - often linked to the Tory Party.

Virgin Care sued your NHS. What did you think of Serco’s test and trace system?

Profits before patients. Simple as that. 4/13

Successive Conservative governments have failed to pay nurses a decent wage.

Nurses are using Foodbanks to get by. Are you comfortable with this?

Do you remember the Tories CHEERING when they won a vote that denied nurses of a pay rise?

Check out #NHSPay15
5/13

Successive Conservative governments have demoralised NHS workers.

During the first wave of this pandemic they had the nerve to accuse nurses of misusing PPE.

Reality: nurses wore modified bin liners & face masks from eBay.

Hundreds have tragically died of Covid-19. 6/13

Successive Conservative governments have massively cut funding to social care.

This has ended up with patients having to stay in their hospital beds, leading to ‘bed-blocking’.

This is down to the government. Not the NHS, and not the patients. 7/13

In short, that’s why your NHS is overwhelmed, and no Covid denier (yes, they still exist) will be telling me otherwise.

Not enough beds = x
Not enough staff = y
Huge surge of patients = z

x + y + z = overwhelmed.

This is the reality. 8/13

It’s not hard to wander into a hospital and record a short video of empty areas. You creepy bastards.

Do these anti-everything-sensible people really think that is an accurate representation of reality?

It’s not. Talk to any medical professional on the front line. 9/13

There is a few things we can do to help.

•Listen to qualified health experts, not celebrity clickbait. This really matters.

•Value your NHS. It’s yours - it doesn’t belong to any politician or party.

•Stay at home. If you’re not mixing, you’re not spreading.

10/13

I have had private conversations with nurses working without any breaks, having to cancel leave, working every day. We do not have enough nurses.

Cameron, Hunt, May, Hancock & Johnson all promised more nurses.

They’ve all lied to you - assisted by much of the media. 11/13

I would suggest following NHS activists such as @NHSActivistRN @Momentum_NHS @NHSMillion to name but a few.

We have to stand together and demand the best for our NHS and all those that sail her.

And let me reiterate one last point please... 12/13

Claps are nice, but they don’t pay the bills, or put food on the table.

NHS parking charges must be scrapped.

Give the staff a real pay rise.

Take the enthusiasm from your clapping & turn it into protest, activism, & fight for *our* national treasure.

End. 13/13