While strike action has caused disruption to the NHS this winter, people from the Blyth Valley to Darlington have sent their support to the nurses and ambulance service staff who have walked out - with some thanking the people who saved their lives.
Across this week and last, nurses who are part of the Royal College of Nursing have spent two days on strike. Ambulance service staff, including paramedics, have also spent a day on the picket line as three unions carried out industrial action. A further day of strikes is currently planned by GMB-affiliated ambulance service staff on December 28.
On the picket lines outside of hospitals and ambulance stations across the North East, striking workers have consistently affirmed that the most important thing in their mind is the safety of patients. Though the strikes are over a pay dispute, nurses and paramedics have told ChronicleLive how they see the issues are intertwined - as poor pay is contributing to the staff shortages the NHS faces.
