RCN condemns £10m cuts by NHS North Yorkshire and York

Published: 26 September 2012

RCN condemns £10m cuts by NHS North Yorkshire and York

In response to an announcement on 25 September 2012, that NHS North Yorkshire and York will claw back £10m in short-term cuts, Kevin Austerberry, Regional Director for the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in Yorkshire and the Humber region said:

“This is shocking news and we’re extremely worried about the direct impact on both patients, provision of care and nursing jobs.  The trust is proposing significant short term cuts with little or no consideration for the long term.  Stopping GPs from treating minor injuries and cutting the opening hours of Minor Injury Units makes no sense.  It will only add pressure on more expensive critical services, like Accident and Emergency.  Whilst closing community hospital beds without putting alternative support in place will have the same effect and see more patients end up in hospital.  The trust is also looking at contravening a national commitment by government to increase the number of health visitors by calling a halt to recruitment”.

“Cutting non-critical services across the board in this way means that patients will not be supported in the early stages of illness or when they have minor conditions.  These conditions won’t be monitored and so prevented from becoming critical with the right support. This is not in the best interest of patients and nor cost effective in the long term.  In the end these measures will prove much more expensive and add extra pressure to already overstretched nursing staff. 

Kevin added:  “Whilst the NHS has banked a surplus overall, North Yorkshire and York has suffered with financial problems for some time.  The NHS needs to step in to ensure that patient services are not affected and provide appropriate financial support.  They must put care before cost”.