A striking Northumbria Healthcare nurse laid bare the "emotional conflict" triggered by taking to the picket line.
Martin Black is a long-serving nurse working at the Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital in Cramlington. Speaking from the Royal College of Nursing's (RCN) picket line on the second consecutive day of strike action this week, he told ChronicleLive how his motivation was to safeguard the "long-term safety" of patients - but that didn't mean that walking out on strike was an easy choice.
Along with nursing colleagues around the region, Martin spoke of the agonising decision they had been forced to make. The strikes are taking place against a pay dispute between the RCN and the Government - with the union adamant that the Government's pay offer of a £1,400 boost for most nurses isn't enough.
