Firstly, we would like to ask each and every one of you why, despite our incredible efforts, you continue to exploit us. The COVID-19 pandemic placed extraordinary strain on an already demoralised, devalued and depleted workforce, having spent ten years paying for your austerity measures. On behalf of the whole NHS workforce, and the rest of the country using our services, we want you to acknowledge the damage you have caused, apologise, and let someone else fix your mess.

Many hoped, as we smashed out of vaccinations at the detriment to other services, that you would learn from previous mistakes and ensure variants from overseas wouldn’t be able to enter our tiny little isolated island. Moreover we hoped you would share the vaccines to help in the battle for worldwide immunity and prevent mutations. Sadly, as you know, your dangerously shortsighted decision making has left us facing a new variant, which could have been prevented from entering the country if you stopped travel overseas early enough. Perhaps mandatory isolation and testing would have also been helpful for those coming from high risk countries, but you let them and the variant stroll right in.

As we take on this new Omicron variant, evidence suggests that safe staffing saves lives and yet there are over 100,000 vacancies in the NHS at present. Working under protected, under resourced and underpaid whilst battling a pandemic has left us exhausted at best. We have witnessed colleagues bear the mental and physical scars, some unable to return to the job they loved, others at worst lost their lives completely.

At a time when you had the power to recognise our struggle, invest in our workforce attempt to repair the damage your party has reaped on us for over a decade – you ignored us. As we took to the streets to protest and petition your government into keeping us out of the queues of food banks - we were laughed at by your MPs. As we were drowning and shouting for help – we were vilified for not being able to stay afloat.

You now ask more of us again, yet give us nothing but empty promises. You know we will do it, because our loyalty is to our patients – yet again impaled on our own sword of ethical responsibility, something you seem to enjoy exploiting. We will continue to do our part, but when will you start doing yours?

If it is critical to get Britain boosted, it is critical we have the workforce to deliver that whilst maintaining other services. I can assure you at present we are incapable of doing that safely. We need more support than claps and a below inflation pay rise which equates to a loss. The ITU nurses who saved your life were likely on about £12.50 an hour, the healthcare assistants helping to prone patients nearby would be on about £10 an hour, the hostess sorting your food and drinks even less. If you are willing to do whatever it takes to support us, then pay us a fair wage.

We so wish we could thank you for all that you’ve done to support us through this, but in fact you’ve made it far more difficult for most of us. On behalf of the whole nation, please resign, and anyone else reading who has any bearing on the politics of this country – the NHS needs to be removed from the political playground if we want it to function for the needs of the public. Peoples lives aren’t a game.