RCN responds to Prime Minister’s announcement on nursing

Published: 06 January 2012

Embargoed: 00:01 Friday 6th January 2012

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) today responded to the Prime Minister’s announcement on freeing up nurses to spend more time on care.

RCN Chief Executive & General Secretary, Dr Peter Carter, said:

“Nurses working in every field have one thing in common – they chose the profession because they want to care for people. The profession will welcome the moves to free up nurses to put care first, and to focus all their energies on the needs of their patients. In particular, nurses themselves have emphasised the enormous burden of the paperwork they have to complete, day in and day out. An RCN survey found that UK nurses spend more than a million hours a week on paperwork – time taken away from giving patients the best possible care.

“Reducing this burden will be very widely welcomed, as will the commitment to empowering the ward sister. Ward sisters are experienced nurses who can provide expert leadership to the team – they need to be able to call the shots and supervise and develop the wider workforce. This authority is just one part of making sure that the system supports the nurse. Our members tell us time and again that they want to focus on delivering care, and they are committed to that care being of the highest quality. It is also right that patients and staff are asked for their views and recommendations – as is already happening in some high performing NHS Trusts.

“There is very compelling evidence that the factor which affects patient care in a very profound way is staffing levels. Additionally, a recent survey by the RCN found that 52% of nurses are unable to provide the kind of care they would like. Having the right number of staff on a ward with the right mix of skills can make all the difference in giving patients the care and attention they need – and we know that issues such as falls, errors and patient outcomes are affected very directly. The improvements being put forward today rely on having enough nurses to carry them out. We hope that employers locally will support the Prime Minister’s commitment and ensure that staff are supported in delivering care.”

Notes for Editors

The recent RCN survey which showed that 52% of nurses were unable to provide the standard of care they would like is here - http://www.rcn.org.uk/newsevents/press_releases/uk/rcn_warns_of_rising_pressure_as_staff_cuts_mount

The results of an RCN survey on paperwork can be viewed here - http://www.rcn.org.uk/newsevents/press_releases/uk/nurses_spend_more_than_a_million_hours_every_week_on_mountain_of_paperwork,_says_rcn

For further information, interviews or illustrations please contact the 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.