Press Releases
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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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19/05/2026
Press Release
Nursing students in Wales pushed into poverty despite existing support, RCN warns
RCN Wales is calling on the Welsh Government to undertake an urgent review of the true cost of studying nursing, and to ensure financial support reflects the real pressures students are facing.
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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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18/05/2026
Press Release
Nursing leader warns collapsing nurse growth and rising complexity a ‘deadly mix’ for patients
The findings are from the Royal College of Nursing’s (RCN) latest ‘Last Shift’ survey, which asked more than 13,000 nursing staff across the UK about their experiences on their most recent shift.
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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"
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11/05/2026
Press Response
RCN Wales calls for graduate guarantee for newly qualified nurses in Wales as only 69% of anticipated nursing graduates this year are set to secure a job.
HEIW have announced that only 69% of nurses who have trained and been part of the NHS for the past 3 years will currently have a job within the NHS in Wales.
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27/04/2026
Press Release
Patients routinely coming to harm, as overwhelmed community mental health nurses raise alarm over staffing levels and caseloads
RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive, Professor Nicola Ranger, said: "We now need to see sustained and significant investment in community mental health nursing and digital infrastructure to enable them to focus on patient care and improve outcomes for our most vulnerable.”
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22/04/2026
Press Release
Rising A+E waits ‘depriving patients of their dignity’, says Royal College of Nursing
Executive Director of RCN England, Patricia Marquis, said: “Long, tortuous waits in A&E are the sign of a health and care system under severe pressure and unable to meet demand."
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22/04/2026
Press Release
Talks must now deliver genuine change for nursing, says RCN in response to mandate being announced for NHS Staff Council for Agenda for Change (AfC) pay negotiations
RCN Executive Director of Legal and Member Relations, Jo Galbraith-Marten, said: “Today’s announcement that talks will begin on reforming the NHS pay structure are an important step and testament to the dedicated campaigning of nursing staff."
Page last updated - 21/02/2025
