RCN welcomes plans to help with credit crunch stress

Published: 09 March 2009

For immediate use: Monday 9th March 2009

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) today welcomed the announcement over the weekend of more government help for people who are affected by the economic downturn, including more talking therapies and a new network of employment support workers.

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

“The government is doing the right thing in looking ahead to the consequences of the economic downturn, and preparing a full package of measures to help health and social services to deal with them. In particular, we know that in many cases losing your job can be the tipping point which leads to isolation, family breakdown and mental health problems. Specialist nurses make a real difference, and should be supported to help as many people as possible.

“We would now call on ministers to make sure that these measures can make an impact quickly, so that support reaches individuals and families before problems are allowed to escalate. This is particularly important in areas which are already blighted by health inequalities, where any further job losses would be most keenly felt. We look forward to working with the government to help those affected by the downturn.”
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Notes for Editors

The announcement from the Department of Health can be found here - http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/News/Recentstories/DH_095907

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.