NURSES TOLD TO SMILE MORE

The latest government suggestion announced this week to improve the National Health Service is to make nurses smile more! Not sure exactly how they’re going to go about doing this with the current crisis situation in the NHS. Apparently research has suggested that some of the problems in the NHS are caused by the “unfriendly image” of the staff. The suggestion provoked an angry reaction from The Royal College of Nursing after it was made within one week of nurses being told they would receive a staged, below inflation pay rise. On top of this, we have hospital closures and cuts, resulting in massive job losses. No wonder staff morale is so low in the NHS. It should come as no surprise to the government that nurses are so unhappy. They are already trying to do their best for patients with often limited resources, as hospital funding is cut to the bone. It doesn’t sound like nurses have much to smile about to me! Instead of coming up with stupid suggestions, the government should wake up and face up to the reality of what’s happening in the NHS and find a solution as a matter of urgency, for the sake of everyone in Britain.