Press Releases
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08/06/2026
Press Release
This catastrophe has been unfolding unchecked in our hospitals for far too long, warns Royal College of Nursing
RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Professor Nicola Ranger said: “This is the tragic reality when people are left to wait in overcrowded and under-resourced A&Es"
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04/06/2026
Press Release
Royal College of Nursing responds to Lord Mann’s review into antisemitism and other forms of racism in the NHS
RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Professor Nicola Ranger said:. It’s absolutely essential that staff are safe at work, but the reality is racism in the NHS is on the rise, as is violence, aggression and sexual harassment. That these behaviours have become so normalised is alarming."
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28/05/2026
Press Release
Professional Standards Authority report 'damning indictment' of NMC, says Royal College of Nursing
RCN Chief Nursing Officer, Professor Lynn Woolsey, said a report from the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) provides a damning indictment of the NMC, finding that it meets just half of the standards expected of a regulator.
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27/05/2026
Press Release
Nursing and Midwifery Council 'severely undermining' trust in the profession, says RCN
RCN Chief Nursing Officer Professor Lynn Woolsey said the failing called into question whether the NMC it is fit for purpose as the nursing profession’s regulator.
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21/05/2026
Press Release
Depleted social care workforce burnt out and demoralised as underfunding issues persist, warns Royal College of Nursing
RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Professor Nicola Ranger said: “At the heart of this is a workforce that has not been given the value it deserves. With an ageing population, the scale of the challenge for governments across the UK has never been clearer."
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20/05/2026
Press Release
Half a million children attended A&E in mental health crisis, as RCN calls for wider roll-out of mental health A&Es and for action on social determinants
RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Professor Nicola Ranger, said: “Half a million children and young people attending A+E in a mental health crisis is evidence of a catastrophic system-wide failure. Nursing staff give their all in the most difficult circumstances, but the fact is that busy and stressful A+Es are wholly unsuitable places for anyone in mental distress, let alone vulnerable children."
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19/05/2026
Press Release
Racism allowed to ‘flourish’ in NHS says RCN, as tens of thousands of nursing staff report 78% surge in racist abuse
RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Professor Nicola Ranger, said: “These findings show a catastrophic rise in the racist abuse faced by nursing staff. It is a disgrace, and perhaps just as bad is the fact that many NHS Trusts and Health Boards cannot even tell us how many staff have been on the receiving end. It amounts to a policy of ‘don’t know, don’t care."
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18/05/2026
Press Release
Nursing leader warns collapsing nurse growth and rising complexity a ‘deadly mix’ for patients
RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Professor Nicola Ranger said: “Widespread vacancies of registered nurses are always unsafe, but the risk is being compounded by the demands of delivering ever more complex care to an ageing, sicker population, with multiple conditions. It is a deadly mix."
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15/05/2026
Press Release
Top of his agenda must be delivering the improvements needed across health and care including long-overdue reform of pay and career progression, says Royal College of Nursing
RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Professor Nicola Ranger said: “Top of his agenda must be delivering the improvements needed across health and care including long-overdue reform of pay and career progression for nursing staff. We stand ready to be part of the solution.”
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14/05/2026
Press Release
The job is far from done and patients and nursing staff will not thank the government if it now takes its eyes off the ball, says Royal College of Nursing
RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Professor Nicola Ranger said: “There’s been progress on NHS targets across the board and that is a huge testament to nursing staff who have worked under enormous pressure to deliver care for their patients"
Page last updated - 02/06/2026
