title: Poor pay must be addressed.
abstract: The government's response to an online petition calling for fair pay for nurses is disgusting (news, 16 November). Ministers should come to a trust unexpectedly - without the trust suddenly having enough staff just for the visit. Only then will they appreciate how nurses try to manage a ward with patients all with differing diagnoses, helped only by agency and bank staff who may not know the hospital, let alone the ward.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wells
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000191:economics*; D012456:Salaries and Fringe Benefits; D013222:State Medicine; D006113:United Kingdom