A NURSE has spoken of her horror after she was spat at and verbally abused at a picket line.

Paediatric nurse Hannah Taylor was targeted while on strike outside Southampton General Hospital.

The 35-year-old was standing with her colleagues on Tremona Road when a couple approached the picket line.

Hannah said the man told them to ‘shut up’ and then spat at her feet, before walking off.

She has described the incident as “upsetting.”

Hannah said: “We had been getting great support from the public for most of the day.

“It’s a shame the man felt he wanted to express himself in that way.

“We didn’t expect anything like this to happen. Everybody has got the right to their own opinions, but it’s a shame he expressed his like that.

“It’s quite upsetting to have that happen to you. People should have the freedom to protest.”

Hannah was not put off from returning to the picket line for the second day of strikes on Tuesday.

She was joined by Royal College of Nursing general secretary Pat Cullen - who arrived to rally the striking nurses.

Pat told the Echo: "I heard from the nurse who was verbally abused on the picket line yesterday and I find that so sad.

"The fact that anyone could do that to the people that kept us all going throughout the pandemic and not so long ago, I'm sure that person included, people were standing on the doorstep clapping for those nurses.

"Nurses who stood by them and left their own homes and spent hour upon hour working in intensive care units and other units.

"And to then do that to the nurses, I would ask those people to search their souls and have a long hard look at themselves."

Hannah and her fellow nurses said it’s important they continue striking for “improved conditions” on the wards, and to educate people about their cause.

Speaking on Tuesday, Hannah added: “I am back again today and we have all had really good support, which is lovely.”

She added: “There are some forums where we are being made out to be the villains, but we are striking because we want better staffing for our patients to then improve conditions for the public.

“A lot of it is about educating people about the reasons why we are striking.

“We’re striking to improve working conditions and staffing ratios, all for the patients.

“A lot of the narrative comes down to pay, but the majority of people I have discussed it with say staffing ratios are so much worse since we all started.

“It’s not beneficial for the patients to have exhausted nurses caring for them.

“The narrative around the strikes needs to change.”

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