Responding to government plans to rebuild the NHS in working-class communities, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Professor Nicola Ranger said:

“For too long now, those in the most deprived, rural and coastal areas have struggled to access the healthcare services they need, so any efforts to tackle this are a step in the right direction.

"However, long waits for care and poor health are not just driven by a lack of GPs. For this to be truly successful, the new NHS plan must include significant investment across all areas of the community nursing workforce – including prevention and public health nursing services - which have seen numbers decline and funding reduced, particularly in the most deprived areas.

“Nursing staff stand ready to make this plan work, but they need to see a commitment to rebuild the whole workforce and not by making savings and moving funds around to boost care in selective areas."

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