RCN responds to King’s Fund report on health services in London

Published: 13 December 2011

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Chief Executive & General Secretary, Dr Peter Carter, said:

“This report raises some worrying questions about the future of healthcare in London, which require urgent answers. It is vital that the NHS in London takes a co-ordinated approach to delivering healthcare with clear leadership in place to steer the health service through this period of change. Without a strategic overview there is a real risk that we could see gaps or duplication of services start to appear.

“Equally, it is necessary to consider the role of the workforce and ensure that there is robust planning around the training and education of staff. As we see growing numbers of people receiving treatment in the community, the NHS needs to look carefully at staffing numbers, roles and perhaps most importantly where staff should be based.

“This is not just an issue for London, but is something that is repeated in large cities and health communities across the country.  We already know that the demand for more complex care is rising, so it is critical that we have the right services in the right places in order to best meet the needs of the wider population. The Government would do well to heed this report and treat it as a useful way of considering the implications of the NHS reforms for the rest of the country.”

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.