Government must act on health service warning signs, says RCN

Published: 19 April 2013

Short-sighted cuts to the nursing workforce are still taking place across the NHS despite being identified as an important factor in the catastrophic failings at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, the Royal College of Nursing has said.

The RCN has urged the Government to take immediate action to tackle warning signs across the health service, including staff cuts, an ageing workforce, and soaring patient demand, which if ignored could be disastrous for the health service.

Through its Frontline First campaign, the RCN has identified that there are now 68,880 posts in the UK which are earmarked to go before April 2015, with 24,836 already axed. This includes a decrease of 4,800 registered nurses and 4,042 health care assistants.

Dr Peter Carter, Chief Executive & General Secretary of the RCN said: “Our latest Frontline First report paints a very worrying picture for the future of the health service, and the Government cannot afford to ignore these warning signs.

“Tens of thousands of posts have already been cut with even more expected. The effects are already being felt on the ground, with hospitals and emergency departments unable to cope with soaring demand.”

However, the increasing number of axed frontline staff is just one of many warning signs flashing across the health service. The report also found that the combination of nursing student places being cut and an ageing workforce could lead to a massive nursing shortfall in the future if the Government does not take action now.

The RCN has made eight "calls for action" needed to avoid a nursing crisis in the future, including boards regularly monitoring up-to-date information on their workforce, such as staffing levels and ratios of registered to unregistered staff. The RCN is also calling for greater investment in community and specialist nurses, who manage long-term conditions and reduce consultant appointments and hospital visits.

“We need to see an immediate end to the short-term, slash and burn cuts to nursing staff levels and the failure to plan for the long term, which are damaging patient care and bringing the health service to its knees,” Dr Carter added.