Responding to the Care Quality Commission’s ‘State of Care’ report, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Professor Nicola Ranger said:
“This report is a stark reminder of just how challenging the government’s shift from hospital to community will be. With already far too little capacity in community services and social care to meet demand, vital care is being missed, forcing patients into hospitals and onto corridors. It is an unacceptable state of affairs with a terrible human cost as growing numbers are unable to access the help they need.
“Community services need significant investment in staff and an expansion of local treatment centres if the community care vision is to be realised, but we mustn’t forget about the new investment needed in hospital services too.
“It is hugely worrying that, as ministers have a stated ambition of neighbourhood healthcare, the number of district nurses has halved in the last 14 years while demand has continued to surge. These expert nursing roles are key to transforming care, especially for the vulnerable and must see investment.
“This crisis has been years in the making, but ministers cannot waste time in solving it. The upcoming budget and workforce plan are opportunities that cannot be missed. Only new investment to grow the nursing workforce, particularly in community settings, will ease pressures on hospitals, improve care for patients and ensure the government’s reforms are delivered safely.”
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Notes to editors
