RCN’s damning report spells out devastating effects of NHS financial crisis

Published: 24 August 2007

More than 22,300[1] NHS posts have been lost in the last 18 months because of the financial crisis hitting the health service, according to a new report fromthe Royal College of Nursing (RCN).

On the eve of its annual Congress, the RCN’s launches ‘Our NHS – Today and Tomorrow’[2] which lays barethe myth that the deficitscrisisin the NHS has been solved.

Speaking today (Sunday 15^th April) the General Secretary of the RCN, Dr Peter Carter, warns that unless the government addresses the situation immediately, the devastating actions taken last yearwill continue to hit patient care and destabilise the NHSfor the foreseeable future.

"The deficits issue is not history - it is real, entrenchedand continues to hit patient care, services and jobs. Yes, the NHS achieved overall financial balance last year - but at what cost?

"Our NHS remains caught up in a rip-tide of cuts, rushed reforms and poor workforce planning. This ishitting services, hurting patients, undermining staff morale and threatening the hard-won progress made over recent years."

The report shows how the government's insistence that trusts balance their books last year has led to thousands of jobs disappearing from the health service through a combination of redundancies, post deletions and recruitment freezes. Deficit-led cutsalso continue to hit hard across the NHS; specialist nurses are seeing their posts downgraded and lost, public health and training budgets are being used to plug deficits elsewhere in the system and newly qualified nurses are unable to find jobs.

The effects of the financial crisis on services to patients are also detailed in the report including;

· The loss of specialist services including those for multiple sclerosis and epilepsy

The loss of rehabilitation and intermediate care services

The loss of mental health in-patient and day care services

A negative impact on waiting lists and waiting times with waits of up to nine months for some diagnostic and specialist services

An extension of closure programmes for community hospitals in rural communities

The loss of bereavement and end of life services for children and families

Importantly, the report sets out a range of solutions to the crisis and the steps needed to safeguard the NHS. It callson the government to talk to, and work with, frontline staff; give trusts more time and flexibility to achieve financial balance and move away from the culture ofimposing redundancies, vacancy freezes and post deletions and insteadimplement sustainable workforce planning.

The effects of deficits on nurses at every stage of their career are also revealed in the report with specialist nurses bearing the brunt of cut backs and reform overload. New figures released today show:

the vast majority of specialist nurses (87%) said thatNHS cuts were having an ‘adverse’ effect on patient care
nearly half (47%) were aware of service cuts in their specialist area
almost one in five (19.20%) said they were personally at risk of redundancy
more than half (55%) also said they knew of other specialist nurses in their field who were at risk of losing their jobs

Peter Carter said:

“The NHS is the jewel in the crown of our public services. That’s why we are asking the government to listen to, and work with nurses and their colleagues in the NHS Team.

“Our report offers practical solutions to meet the challenges and problems our health service faces. We’ll be sending a copy of this report to every single MP in the country - for the sake of our NHS I urge them to read it and act upon it.”

-Ends-

Notes to Editors

For further information or for a full copy of the embargoed report please contact the RCN Media Office on 0207 647 3633, press.office@rcn.org.uk or visit http://www.rcn.org.uk/news/mediacentre.php

Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is the voice of nursing across the UK and is the largest professional union of nursing staff in the world. The RCN promotes the interest of nurses and patients on a wide range of issues and helps shape healthcare policy by working closely with the UK Government and other national and international institutions, trade unions, professional bodies and voluntary organisations.

[1] The RCN estimates that, as of April 2007, the total number of NHS posts lost across the country due to deficits stands at 22,363. This figure includes compulsory and voluntary redundancies and deleted vacant posts.

[2] Our NHS – today and tomorrow, a Royal College of Nursing commentary on the current state of the National Health Service and the steps needed to secure its future. Publication code 003 155. Available to download at rcn.org.uk/publications from Sunday 15^th April.