Responding to the lifting of Plan B COVID-19 restrictions, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive, Pat Cullen said:
"The Prime Minister’s decision to loosen the restrictions may have relieved the pressure from his backbenchers but will do nothing to relieve the pressure on the NHS.
"We can't rely on the vaccine alone when the situation is still so precariously balanced. Time will tell whether dropping other measures when the pressure on health and social care services remains unrelenting was wise – particularly when thousands of unvaccinated nursing staff are facing the sack.
"Ministers should adopt a cautious approach. The Government will regret sending the wrong signal to the public for political expediency.
"With so many COVID-19 patients still in hospital, it would be very premature to conclude this wave is over. That is not what our members are telling us.”
Ends
