Government 'is cutting nursing numbers by stealth'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Savage cuts to nursing are stretching resources "to breaking point", the largest nursing union says today.
Government plans to shift care out of hospital and closer to patients' homes are being used as a cover for the cuts, the Royal College of Nursing warns. It is also leading to patients being discharged too early, the RCN reports.
Over 26,000 nursing posts have been cut in the last two years and a further 61,000 are at risk, according to the RCN. The college says that, despite government rhetoric claiming more care is being provided outside hospital, there has been less than a 1 per cent increase in the community nursing workforce in the last decade and community nursing is "stretched to breaking point".
The figures come as Andrew Lansley, the Health Secretary, prepares to address the RCN congress today. In an interview with The Independent ahead of the speech, Mr Lansley denied there were mass reductions in nurse numbers. He also said staffing numbers were not the only factor in providing good patient care. "In some hospitals the staffing ratios are exactly what we would expect, but some wards are really excellent and some are really bad. This is about leadership," he said.
Mr Lansley added that a recent staff survey shows that, across the NHS, only 65 per cent of staff would recommend their hospital to friends or family.
A poll conducted for the college on the eve of its annual congress in Harrogate found 90 per cent of respondents agreed patients were being discharged sooner from hospital and with more complex needs than a year ago.
Dr Peter Carter, chief executive of the RCN, said: "Nurses are stretched too thin and many are approaching breaking point. Inevitably patients are going to suffer." The RCN supported a shift from hospital to community care but nurses reported patients being discharged from hospital before social-care support was in place.
The Health minister Simon Burns said he did not recognise the RCN's figures: "There are only 450 fewer qualified nursing staff in England than in 2009 and in 2011-12 we expect to train 2,300 community nurses and health visitors."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments