A hospital worker from Preston has set up a petition for better pay after his social media post about his day to day job went viral.
Shane Longton’s post about his day to day life as a Health Care Assistant (HCA) which includes a list of 36 different jobs he does on a daily basis.
Shane said, “On a daily basis I will do most of that list.”
“The reason my post has been shared so much is because the anger is there because we are being called unskilled.”
Read More: Labour calls for Lancashire private healthcare beds to be given to NHS during Coronavirus crisis
Comments on the post have shown a great amount of support to Shane, not only from the public but from other NHS staff.
Shane has started a government petition following his positive feedback, to try and get better pay for Health Care assistants who are paid minimum wage.
Shane added, “People are leaving a job that they are so passionate about.”
Shane loves his job, but at times, with the current struggles in the NHS, he says he can see the affect this is having.
“Everyday is different in my job role, sometimes you can go to work and there’s more than enough staff and it really does impact of the day you have and the level of car you can give to patients.
“You want to go that extra mile for a patient, and one of the things I hate having to say to a patient is, ‘I’m really sorry, I’m too busy’ when they are asking me to do something, it can be quite upsetting.
“But sometimes, on the flip side of that you go to work, there’s enough staff, and you come home feeling like you’ve been able to do the job that you love doing to your full potential.
“It is very physically and mentally challenging, everyday is so different, you don’t know what’s going to happen at work, it’s like another world.”
Read More: Preston therapist offering free help with stress and anxiety for those in need
Shane’s big message is that he wants the public to be kind and be patient with NHS workers, “We are doing our best with what we are given.”.
You can sign Shane’s petition here.