Labour cuts are squeezing life out of NHS- RCN
The NHS is having the "life squeezed out of it" by cuts imposed because of deficits, says the UK's nurse leader. Dr Peter Carter, general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, warned the NHS was at risk as wards are closed, jobs lost and services slashed. "The situation is so serious that the progress we've made could soon be reversed or, sadly, lost altogether."
Speaking at the RCN's annual conference in Harrogate, Lothian nurse Geoff Earl said evidence had shown death rates increased by a third if the number of patients per nurse increased from four to eight.
"The lower the ratio the lower the rates of urinary tract infection and pneumonia," he said.
"It also improves recruitment and retention, reduces the use of agency staff and leads to less staff sickness. So it also makes financial sense - in the long term."
David Dawes, part of the RCN's body for nurses in senior management, said he supported the move as it would make many of the recent cuts - the RCN estimates over 22,000 post have been lost in the last 18 months - illegal.
And Lisa Leicester, a community mental health nurse from Gloucestershire, added: "Lets ensure appropriate staffing levels but also appropriately qualified nurses."
Nurses voted to pass a motion calling for new legislation to ensure appropriate staffing levels.
Ratios would vary depending the type of care a patient was receiving but could mean in some specialities (did not specify which one) one-to-one care would be guaranteed.
But Howard Catton, head of policy at the RCN, said: "The problem with minimum ratios is that they become maximums and that takes away from professional judgement. And if minimums can't be met, wards are closed."
Tough times
The debate came after the RCN's new leader set out the "tough" times the NHS was facing.
The former NHS trust chief executive, who took up the post in January, said: "Training budgets are being raided and public health programmes are being targeted. We've got workloads gong through the roof as jobs are lost and vacancies frozen."
He said the Labour government deserved credit for increasing funding, which has increased the workforce of nurses and doctors. But he added: "The situation is so serious that the progress we've made could soon be reversed or, sadly, lost altogether."
NHS trusts are making cuts in a bid to balance their books after racking up over £500m of deficits last year.
Alluding to recent press reports, Dr Carter said it had got so bad that nurses were being asked to work for nothing and cutting down on the use of lightbulbs. He also strongly criticised this year's 2.5% pay rise for nurses, describing the award as "shameful".
Commenting on the fact the RCN has not invited any politician to congress this year, he said: "It was pointless bringing someone from government in because of how badly they have treated nurses and other health workers."
From:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6559929.stm
The plight of nurses has been long chronicled by Health Direct. Only on March 16, 2007
we posted that the NHS workforce falls by 11,000 as the number of people working in the NHS fell by 11,000 in the last quarter of 2006, official figures reveal. Health unions said the loss across the UK, revealed in Office for National Statistics, would "inevitably have a negative impact on patient care". Total full and part time NHS staff numbers are estimated by the ONS as being 1,222,000.
Dr Peter Carter, general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), added: "These alarming figures confirm what the RCN has long been warning - that deficits are leading to serious cuts in the NHS workforce.
"This can only have a damaging impact on patients and services. That's why we are urging the government to work with us to replace short-term cuts with a long-term recovery plan."
Speaking at the RCN's annual conference in Harrogate, Lothian nurse Geoff Earl said evidence had shown death rates increased by a third if the number of patients per nurse increased from four to eight.
"The lower the ratio the lower the rates of urinary tract infection and pneumonia," he said.
"It also improves recruitment and retention, reduces the use of agency staff and leads to less staff sickness. So it also makes financial sense - in the long term."
David Dawes, part of the RCN's body for nurses in senior management, said he supported the move as it would make many of the recent cuts - the RCN estimates over 22,000 post have been lost in the last 18 months - illegal.
And Lisa Leicester, a community mental health nurse from Gloucestershire, added: "Lets ensure appropriate staffing levels but also appropriately qualified nurses."
Nurses voted to pass a motion calling for new legislation to ensure appropriate staffing levels.
Ratios would vary depending the type of care a patient was receiving but could mean in some specialities (did not specify which one) one-to-one care would be guaranteed.
But Howard Catton, head of policy at the RCN, said: "The problem with minimum ratios is that they become maximums and that takes away from professional judgement. And if minimums can't be met, wards are closed."
Tough times
The debate came after the RCN's new leader set out the "tough" times the NHS was facing.
The former NHS trust chief executive, who took up the post in January, said: "Training budgets are being raided and public health programmes are being targeted. We've got workloads gong through the roof as jobs are lost and vacancies frozen."
He said the Labour government deserved credit for increasing funding, which has increased the workforce of nurses and doctors. But he added: "The situation is so serious that the progress we've made could soon be reversed or, sadly, lost altogether."
NHS trusts are making cuts in a bid to balance their books after racking up over £500m of deficits last year.
Alluding to recent press reports, Dr Carter said it had got so bad that nurses were being asked to work for nothing and cutting down on the use of lightbulbs. He also strongly criticised this year's 2.5% pay rise for nurses, describing the award as "shameful".
Commenting on the fact the RCN has not invited any politician to congress this year, he said: "It was pointless bringing someone from government in because of how badly they have treated nurses and other health workers."
From:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6559929.stm
The plight of nurses has been long chronicled by Health Direct. Only on March 16, 2007
we posted that the NHS workforce falls by 11,000 as the number of people working in the NHS fell by 11,000 in the last quarter of 2006, official figures reveal. Health unions said the loss across the UK, revealed in Office for National Statistics, would "inevitably have a negative impact on patient care". Total full and part time NHS staff numbers are estimated by the ONS as being 1,222,000.
Dr Peter Carter, general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), added: "These alarming figures confirm what the RCN has long been warning - that deficits are leading to serious cuts in the NHS workforce.
"This can only have a damaging impact on patients and services. That's why we are urging the government to work with us to replace short-term cuts with a long-term recovery plan."
Labels: NHS closures, nhs cutbacks, nurses, RCN
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