Physiotherapists picket outside St Mary's Hospital as latest NHS strike aims for government pay deal

Those present highlighted workforce shortages, long patient waiting lists and insufficient staff wages for staff compounded by the cost of living crisis. They were among up to 4,500 members from 33 trusts called to strike across the country.

Picket supervisor Jenna Baynham-Smales said that physiotherapy is an important part of reducing pressure on the NHS as a whole through offering preventative care.

Jenna, who works as a muscular-skeletal physiotherapist in Portsmouth, said: ‘We are struggling to retain highly qualified, skilled staff. We are also struggling to recruit physiotherapists across the whole spectrum of physiotherapy. Because of that, we are seeing huge increases in patient care and I think that's the biggest message we want to get out.

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‘We know a number of physiotherapists who are having to visit food banks, who are not able to provide extracurricular activities for their children that they want to do because they're having to really look at their pay packets now.’

‘In the muscular-skeletal world, rehabilitation is the main thing that’s being affected. We’re having to use community-based providers more than we ever have done before.’

Neurological physiotherapist Emily Hawkins added: ‘Some of our patients have been waiting several months for specialist interventions. Time can be very important in how effective our therapy can be for some patients. Increased waiting times can potentially have an impact on the quality of the treatment they are experiencing.’

St Mary’s Hospital physiotherapy team leader Kim Brown said: ‘The pay doesn’t fit the job. We have a huge amount of responsibility to our patients and some people are struggling to pay their bills and put food on the table. I know that lots of our colleagues want to be here and feel that they can’t afford take a day’s leave to come and stand up for this.

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‘As much as we don’t really want to strike - we don’t want to create delays to patient care - we also feel we’re not being listened to. We’re losing so many staff to private providers and our waiting lists are growing and we want to still be able to upload an amazing level of service.’

St Mary’s MSK Physiotherapist Ben Mills added: ‘Physios are, in many ways, having to adapt to high pressures. We’re having to do a lot more assessment and less rehab - we’re actually losing a lot of our rehab skills. Pay is not even the biggest thing on my mind, there's bigger issues in the NHS.’

Local musician Mark Handley played his song ‘God bless the NHS’ in support of the strike.

Mark added: ‘It's been very moving singing it for them and I think they’ve appreciated it. Health care for free on delivery is just the best thing any country could offer its people.’

Essential ‘life and limb’ continued during the 24-hour strike on Thursday, February 9. Teachers, university staff, train drivers, civil servants, bus drivers have also gone on strike this year as well as other NHS staff such as ambulance workers.

The CSP will look at more days of industrial action if the government does not offer a new pay deal.