Dave, my point was this is probably not the best time to be asking for a 12.5% increase. Your nation in falling to its knees. Unemployment is at his highest in a very long time and the recovery from this pandemic may be with us for a number of years to come. (I guess Governments will use the pandemic as an excuse for many things for many years to come) Somehow money is going to be needed to facilitate the nations recovery and unlike some think, there is unlikely going to be a quick fix.
The value of health care cannot be stressed enough, they are a godsend and I guess like most, at least since the 2008 crash, they have had to accept less than what they rightly deserve. Our nurses have had a 10% increase over 2 years so a little different from the UK, but they are still clamouring for more.
Of course many of us will require hospital care at some point and quite likely some sort of care as we go on into our twilight years, and there they will be doing what they always do, caring in that special way.
I understand that you see first hand the state your wife is in, mentally and physically and how she deals with it and that can be painful for a partner. I worked in the emergency services and my wife saw me come home many times having dealt with something shockingly awful and although I tried to hide it she knew, death, violence, woundings, serious road collisions, air accidents, sometimes had a detrimental effect on me. Some sights I will never forget, though I wish I could. What kept me going was the thought of being there and helping those in need and those that had to be told their loved was not coming home.
I knew when I joined up it was not going to be a picnic and I knew the salary, although perhaps not bad, was not great, for me it was the dream career I wanted. (As I said in a previous post, if had known what I was getting into I would not have done it, but that was not because of the job, just other political reasons) Bit i stock with it and I can tell you now it cost me more than money.
What i am saying is health workers a worth every penny they are paid and at the right time health workers pay (perhaps the whole pay structure of health workers) should be reevaluated and brought into line with today’s expectations for the service they provide.
Clapping was a gesture, it did not fill health workers palms with monies, that was not the intention. I understand many emergency workers felt it was the nations show of appreciation and actually joined in the spirit of that gesture, so to devalue a big national thank you to health workers would be a shame.
I think we are in agreement health workers need to be paid more, our difference perhaps is the timing of when to make that stance. Credit to you and your good lady, she is a star and I hope that all health workers are provided financially with what they are truly worth soonest.