RCN response to Dr Foster Annual Hospital Guide

Published: 03 December 2012

The Royal College of Nursing today (3 December) responded to the Dr Foster Annual Hospital Guide. Dr Peter Carter, Chief Executive & General Secretary of the RCN, said:

“This is a highly credible report which should be taken seriously by everyone involved in health care. It is of great concern that so many hospitals are operating close to capacity. What this reveals is a health care system under great strain. Nursing staff face increasing pressure with the nation’s health care needs becoming more numerous and complex, and making less staff and resources available is having a large impact on patient care.

“What this report highlights is the vital role that community care can play in easing the demand on hospitals through preventative health care, but this cannot happen without the proper resources. When the number of district nurses has been cut by a third in over ten years it is no surprise that so many hospitals are feeling the pressure. An RCN survey in May 2012 found that just six per cent of community nursing staff felt they had the proper resources to provide appropriate care.

“What we are seeing is a health service which is becoming increasingly fragmented, where acute care staff are being cut without the right systems in place to treat patients elsewhere. A new approach is needed to ensure patients who don’t need hospital care are treated properly in the community.”