Ombudsman’s report should be a wake-up call for the NHS: RCN

Published: 15 February 2011

Dr Peter Carter, Chief Executive & General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) today (15th February) responded to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman report Care and compassion? The report outlines the experiences of older people in different settings across the NHS. Dr Carter said:

“The care described in this report has been rightly described as an ‘ignominious failure’, and we must be very clear that there can be no hiding place for inhumane treatment or poor care. The overwhelming majority of nurses will join us in condemning the failures outlined by the Ombudsman. This report should act as a wake-up call to people working in the NHS, whether they are managers, frontline staff or regulators. All staff need to be able to meet the physical, social and emotional needs of patients and their families; if they can’t, we need to understand why.

“The NHS is treating more patients than ever before, and the overwhelming majority report that their care is good or excellent . However, we know that the NHS is expected to save up to £20 billion in England alone, and with 27,000 posts already earmarked to be lost, it is inevitable that there will be an impact on frontline care. Where we have seen poor standards of care in the past we have often found an underlying failure in ensuring safe staffing levels and the right level of skill. Just last week, 80 per cent of RCN members surveyed told us that they did not have enough staff to deliver good quality care to patients.”

Ends

Notes for Editors

The results of the RCN’s survey on staffing levels (published 7th February 2010) can be found here - http://www.rcn.org.uk/newsevents/press_releases/uk/fears_over_quality_care_revealed_by_nurses

The RCN released a report in November 2010 which outlined the 27,000 posts at risk in the NHS, and also showed examples of excellent and innovative care. You can read the report here - http://frontlinefirst.rcn.org.uk/page/s/report

For further information, interviews or illustrations please contact –
RCN Media Office on 0207 647 3633, press.office@rcn.org.uk or visit http://www.rcn.org.uk/newsevents/media

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.