1 Right numbers, right care
Resolution submitted by the RCN Lothian Branch
That this meeting of RCN Congress demands UK-wide legislation to ensure appropriate staffing levels
- Work led by the Public Policy Committee with input from the Nursing Development Committee and Membership, Representation and Diversity Committee
- Lead RCN Council member: Jane McCready
The debate at Congress 2007 focused on a number of areas. Financial pressures have led to reductions in the numbers of nursing posts, changes to downgrade skill mix and Agenda for Change banding, and reductions in the use of temporary nursing staff; consequently there has been increased nursing workload pressure. There is a delicate balance between setting minimum and appropriate nurse staffing levels. Finally, nurse staffing has an impact on care quality and clinical outcomes.
The RCN campaign for legislation to ensure appropriate nurse staffing levels has adopted the approach taken by the RCN Scotland campaign Right for nurses, right for patients; the RCN has lobbied in all UK countries for the introduction of a statutory mechanism for every NHS health organisation to workforce plan at a local level and maintain appropriate nurse staffing levels.
RCN Scotland continues to work with the Scottish parliament on nurse staffing and the nursing workforce. RCN Wales launched the Get it Right campaign in October 2007, which it calls for a statutory responsibility to be laid on all NHS health organisations to consider appropriate nurse staffing in the provision of care. In addition, RCN Wales successfully lobbied the Health Committee of the National Assembly to hold an inquiry into workforce planning in health and social care and submitted evidence to that inquiry. RCN Northern Ireland is working with the Department of Health, Social Services and Patient Safety and health organisations to recognise the link between nurse staffing levels and patient outcomes in the Northern Ireland current health service reorganisation. Staff in RCN England circulated the RCN Policy Unit document Setting appropriate ward nurse staffing levels in NHS trusts (available at www.rcn.org.uk/policy) to all directors of nursing in NHS trusts and external organisations such as the Health Care Commission, and met with the Prime Minister’s health adviser in December 2007 to discuss taking forward the recommendations within this document. The RCN Policy Unit has undertaken a survey of mental health nurse staffing in non-secure NHS trusts — Untapped potential — which contains recommendations for reviewing nurse staffing and is available on the RCN website at www.rcn.org.uk/policy
The Healthcare Commission used the RCN Policy document Setting appropriate ward nurse staffing levels in NHS trusts as a benchmark in its investigation of the C. difficile outbreak at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells Trust. That document will be reviewed and extended, with a focus on clinical leadership and infection control, and will be re-launched in spring 2008.