RCN General Secretary Peter Carter on Tony Blair's decision to stand down as leader of the Labour Party
Published: 24 August 2007
Reacting to today's announcement by Tony Blair to stand down as leader of the Labour Party Royal College of Nursing General Secretary Peter Carter said;
“Under Tony Blair's premiership the government were true to their word in that they have more than doubled spending on health. There has been welcome progress in the NHS; staff numbers have increased, waiting times and waiting lists have fallen and major advances have been made in relation to cancer, coronary heart disease and mental health.
“However, too much time, too much effort and too much money has been wasted on management consultants and ill-judged service reconfigurations that have now been reversed.
“If progress is to be maintained, then his successor must place health at the top of their agenda. That means fair pay for nurses, tackling the deficits crisis and sustaining the investment needed to ensure quality patient care.
“For the RCN, it's policies, not personalities, that matter and we look forward to working with the next Prime Minister to develop and implement policies that will safeguard the future of our NHS.”
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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.