NHS workforce census incredibly worrying says RCN

Published: 21 March 2012

Commenting on the NHS workforce census figures released today (21 March), Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Chief Executive & General Secretary, Dr Peter Carter said:

“That the NHS has lost nearly 3,500 qualified nurses since 2010 and almost 20,000 staff overall is incredibly worrying. These figures are yet further evidence of the rising scale of cuts to NHS jobs and services and tally up with the RCN’s findings which in November revealed at least 56,000 NHS posts are to go across the UK. Yesterday’s NHS staff survey shows clearly the impact of these cuts with two thirds of respondents saying that there are not enough staff to allow them to do their jobs properly.  Despite the rhetoric, we know that frontline jobs are not being protected and NHS Trusts must stop making cuts in a quick fix attempt to save money. Put bluntly, the idea that cutting hundreds of jobs from a hospital will not affect the care of patients is ludicrous.

“There is no doubt that the impact of these cuts, combined with the upheaval created by the Health and Social Care Bill, means that the NHS is becoming seriously destabilised. We know that savings need to be made, but cutting frontline staff and services that vulnerable patients rely on is just not the way to do it.”

Notes for Editors
 
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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.