Letter: Government’s sickening pride in food banks

I am neither a doctor nor consultant and I am not employed by the NHS.

The NHS is in a mess thanks to 13 years of Tory austerity measures and failing to understand the impact that these would have on all public services.

The wages of all public service employees were gradually eroded by the actions of this government resulting in many employees either leaving or struggling to cope financially.

I find it abhorrent that any NHS employee has to use a foodbank and I find it sickening that the Tory government seem proud of the food banks. I’m not quite sure how that works. I would have thought that it was something to be ashamed of.

Doctors and consultants together with other NHS staff are having to strike thanks to Steven Barclay’s intransigence to negotiate properly. These strikes are extremely unfortunate but can be firmly laid at Mr Barclay’s door together with his colleagues.

I sympathise with anyone who has suffered as a result of this strike action but, rather than blaming the strikers, look closely at a government that has driven them to this action.

I understand their high wages can be seen as an anathema but I wonder how many of us would fancy trying their job even for just one day. They literally have to make life-and-death decisions every day that they are working.

Their skills are amazing, only this week performing a womb transplant that along with other transplant surgery is breathtaking. When we expect so much of these people, it is only right that they are paid commensurate with the skills that they demonstrate every single day of the week.

Gareth Wynne

Three Legged Cross