Almost 100 community staff, who care for 1,000 seriously ill patients, have been on strike since November 8 and say they will not return to work until Ms Reissmann is reinstated.

Unison held a solidarity day nationwide under the slogan Silent Nightingales – Don’t Silence NHS Staff This Christmas, Reinstate Karen.

Ms Reissmann’s appeal started on Monday and is expected to finish today.

Vall Midson, who works with Karen, said: “A lot of staff have thanked us for standing up for the NHS. We had quite a few members of the public bring us sandwiches and flasks of tea to the demos. It is good to know everyone has heard about the strike and why we are doing it.”

Unison again backed Ms Reissmann, saying they will defend members’ rights to speak out without fear of persecution.

From:
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1027263_nurses_hold_silent_protest

Health Direct wonders if something is seriously amiss in the North West socialist republic. On
June 28, 2007 in Labour’s NHS reforms pushed hospital chief to suicide Health Direct posted that a hospital manager jumped 100 feet to her death, driven to suicide by the stress of NHS reforms. Morag Shedden Wilson, 32, stabbed herself with a kitchen knife and then jumped from a motorway bridge on the M60 into the Manchester Ship Canal.

An inquest heard that Miss Wilson, who was head of dietetics at Wythenshawe Hospital, was under pressure because of reforms introduced by the Agenda for Change, a labour Government review.

Coroner John Pollard urged the NHS to consider the impact of reforms on staff as he recorded a suicide verdict.

He said: “I find it extremely sad that a young woman with such a lot going for her has been reduced to this state of despair. When people introduce these rules and systems, perhaps a bit more thought as to what effect they will have on people would be helpful.”

Miss Wilson lobbied hospital chiefs on behalf of her staff but was told there was no money to improve their pay.