Angry RCN nurses drown out health minister
Infuriated nurses stopped Patricia Hewitt in her tracks yesterday as they interrupted her speech and demanded their voices be heard. The Health Secretary, who was addressing the Royal College of Nursing conference in Bournemouth, had been met by more than 2,000 stony faces, a sea of white and yellow campaign T-shirts, and a welcome somewhere between cool and frigid.
Nurses run out of patience with Patricia Hewitt yesterday amid a sea of protest posters and T-shirts at the Royal College of Nursing conference
"Put your speech away," shouted the nurses as Miss Hewitt, almost repeating the address she had made to Unison in Monday, said she would help any nurses made redundant to get new jobs. "Where? Where?" they yelled.
About 15 minutes into her speech, the nurses, who had already interrupted her with derisive laughter, cries of "rubbish", "resign" and the stamping of hundreds of feet, had finally had enough. There would be more arguments and controversy in the coming year, Miss Hewitt was saying as the shouting spread, the crescendo of stamping grew, and she was finally drowned out.
Dave Nunn, the chairman of the conference, could just be heard telling the Secretary of State that the nurses were indicating that it was time they had their say.
Patricia Hewitt displayed less than her usual composure
Miss Hewitt agreed it was always right to take questions. "Have you finished or do you want to say more?" Mr Nunn asked. "I've just said to you that I will," said Miss Hewitt, displaying less than her usual composure.
Les Miles, from a foundation hospital trust in south Tyneside, wanted to know why was it that, with all this funding going into the NHS, he and one auxillary nurse were left to care alone for a ward for 14 premature babies?
It was clear they were understaffed, said Miss Hewitt, but that really was a matter for the trust. Mr Miles said later that he felt patronised.
Maureen Marshall, a nurse from south London, demanded to know if Agenda for Change, the programme to restructure pay and ways of working, had been fully funded or not. "Yes or no. Yes or no," thundered the audience, which felt let down by a 2.5 per cent pay rise this year. It had been fully funded said Miss Hewitt, her voice rising. But it looked as if more money would be needed. More scornful laughter.
After three quarters of an hour, Miss Hewitt's ordeal was nearly over. "I know you are angry with me and I know you disagree with a lot of what I am saying. But I really want to stress that although there may be some areas of disagreement between us, the more we can work together and the more nurses in particular are involved in difficult decisions to be made, the better."
The conciliation failed. The audience rose and booed. Miss Hewitt quickly left the stage and nurses held aloft the campaign posters they will take to a lobby of Parliament next month.
Dr Beverly Malone, the general secretary of the RCN, said afterwards: "Blame shifting and lame excuses from the minister won't help a single patient or save a solitary job. What nurses and patients need is long-term planning not short-term cuts."
Sylvia Denton, the president of the RCN, said she had never seen nurses so angry in the presence of a health secretary. "I've been coming to congress for the last 26 years and I don't think I have ever seen a reception like that but I think this is a symptom of nurses not being listened to."
Miss Hewitt returned to London to put her message across to the Fabian Society. The NHS was the best medical insurance system in the world, she said.
Under Labour's reforms, the NHS had improved and would continue to improve, she said. She accused the Conservatives of trying to undermine the service in the hope of persuading voters that state funding was not working.
Nurses run out of patience with Patricia Hewitt yesterday amid a sea of protest posters and T-shirts at the Royal College of Nursing conference
"Put your speech away," shouted the nurses as Miss Hewitt, almost repeating the address she had made to Unison in Monday, said she would help any nurses made redundant to get new jobs. "Where? Where?" they yelled.
About 15 minutes into her speech, the nurses, who had already interrupted her with derisive laughter, cries of "rubbish", "resign" and the stamping of hundreds of feet, had finally had enough. There would be more arguments and controversy in the coming year, Miss Hewitt was saying as the shouting spread, the crescendo of stamping grew, and she was finally drowned out.
Dave Nunn, the chairman of the conference, could just be heard telling the Secretary of State that the nurses were indicating that it was time they had their say.
Patricia Hewitt displayed less than her usual composure
Miss Hewitt agreed it was always right to take questions. "Have you finished or do you want to say more?" Mr Nunn asked. "I've just said to you that I will," said Miss Hewitt, displaying less than her usual composure.
Les Miles, from a foundation hospital trust in south Tyneside, wanted to know why was it that, with all this funding going into the NHS, he and one auxillary nurse were left to care alone for a ward for 14 premature babies?
It was clear they were understaffed, said Miss Hewitt, but that really was a matter for the trust. Mr Miles said later that he felt patronised.
Maureen Marshall, a nurse from south London, demanded to know if Agenda for Change, the programme to restructure pay and ways of working, had been fully funded or not. "Yes or no. Yes or no," thundered the audience, which felt let down by a 2.5 per cent pay rise this year. It had been fully funded said Miss Hewitt, her voice rising. But it looked as if more money would be needed. More scornful laughter.
After three quarters of an hour, Miss Hewitt's ordeal was nearly over. "I know you are angry with me and I know you disagree with a lot of what I am saying. But I really want to stress that although there may be some areas of disagreement between us, the more we can work together and the more nurses in particular are involved in difficult decisions to be made, the better."
The conciliation failed. The audience rose and booed. Miss Hewitt quickly left the stage and nurses held aloft the campaign posters they will take to a lobby of Parliament next month.
Dr Beverly Malone, the general secretary of the RCN, said afterwards: "Blame shifting and lame excuses from the minister won't help a single patient or save a solitary job. What nurses and patients need is long-term planning not short-term cuts."
Sylvia Denton, the president of the RCN, said she had never seen nurses so angry in the presence of a health secretary. "I've been coming to congress for the last 26 years and I don't think I have ever seen a reception like that but I think this is a symptom of nurses not being listened to."
Miss Hewitt returned to London to put her message across to the Fabian Society. The NHS was the best medical insurance system in the world, she said.
Under Labour's reforms, the NHS had improved and would continue to improve, she said. She accused the Conservatives of trying to undermine the service in the hope of persuading voters that state funding was not working.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=32BYYAXK5X5TLQFIQMFCFFWAVCBQYIV0?xml=/news/2006/04/27/nhew27.xml&sSheet=/portal/2006/04/27/ixportaltop.html
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