Although like anything else there are bad days, my agency nursing and care work has been pretty good over the last few months. There have been a few new semi-regular places, and these have often been slightly better paid too. Generally speaking, most N.H.S. hospital and learning disabilities work pays around £7.00, whereas mental health support work, challenging behaviour, children’s homes and non-N.H.S. learning disabilities pays around £8.50 per hour. I tend to get a mix of the two rates, but quite often more of the latter.
Since I had my two letters to The Independent newspaper published early this year, one of them a lengthy direct reply to Health Secretary at the time Patricia Hewitt, there is no doubt that there have been improvements in the N.H.S. environments where I work. This is obviously directly a result of my letters ha ha! Back then, some of the situations could hardly have got any worse. As was the case nationally, the cost-cutting, bureaucracy and never-ending government changes were destroying a couple of wards in particular. One of them has since been given a substantial budget for employment of a higher ratio of staff nurses to health care assistants, very good for the ward, the atmosphere and quality of care has improved as a result.
The psychiatric hospital has definitely improved in terms of offering therapeutic groups and activities, where a few years ago there wasn’t much more than a (very good) art therapist on offer. Of course many patients are in no state to attend the various groups, but that is another story. Some patients do take part in activities, and you can see it makes a difference. Now all we need is for the whole of society to seriously acknowledge the increasing mental health problems we have, and how the underlying values of our alienated and materialistic lifestyle are largely responsible. Just my opinion of course, ahem.
Doing the odd bits of television and film extra work have undoubtedly helped me cope better with the stresses and strains of the care work, as has being occupied with finishing my album (and doing a few gigs) for most of this year. I expect I will be doing it for a while longer yet. However tedious and badly paid it sometimes is, it mostly works for me.
