Responding to pledges from the Conservative Party to boost NHS services in the community, Executive Director of RCN England, Patricia Marquis, said:
“The desperate need to invest more in primary and community health services has been apparent for years and this announcement doesn’t go nearly far enough.
“Primary and community health services have long suffered from inadequate funding, something that has serious knock-on consequences for hospitals and impacts patients across all settings. However, there are many question marks over this announcement and how it will be implemented.
“Any GP expansion worthy of the name means addressing the fact that almost half of nursing staff working in GP practices received no pay rise last year – despite a government promise. We need an increased and sustainable funding model for GP practices so we can pay nursing staff fairly and, crucially, recruit and retain the nursing staff we need.
“It’s also highly concerning that the Conservative party plan to recoup costs by reducing spend on management. Reducing the workforce in one area to free up capacity in another could be deeply harmful, particularly when NHS trusts are already planning on cutting clinical and non-clinical staff to balance spending targets. It’s clear the NHS needs increased funding to meet need.
“The bottom line is that patient demand across all services is severely outstripping workforce supply, with nursing staff leaving in their droves because of unsustainable pressures. No new initiative will achieve anything until there is investment in the nursing workforce – including fair pay – to stem the tide of those leaving the profession. Only then can we ensure patients across primary, community and hospital settings get the care they deserve.”
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