An investigation commissioned by Health Secretary Wes Streeting and led by Lord Darzi aims to assess the state of the NHS in England. The review will scrutinise patient access to health care, the quality of health care being provided, and the overall performance of the health system. We’ve contributed to this review, which will be used to inform a long-term NHS plan. A report of its findings is due in September 2024.
RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Professor Nicola Ranger is part of an Expert Reference Group (ERG) informing the investigation and has already attended one exploratory session. She will join a second meeting on 3 September where Lord Darzi and his team will share emerging findings.
We’ve also submitted written evidence, focusing on a variety of concerns including issues in social care, nurse-to-patient ratios, student nursing numbers, mental health support, raising concerns and corridor care.
Our asks include:
- a long-term aligned approach to both the NHS and adult social care, with proper investment in the workforce
- the implementation of professionally and legally enforceable nurse-to-patient ratios, with a safety-critical maximum number of patients per registered nurse in every health care setting
- financial support from the UK government for nursing students by fully funding tuition and providing living cost grants in line with the increased cost of living for all nursing, midwifery, and allied health care students
- job guarantees for all nursing students upon qualification
- ensuring that fully funded, accessible, and effective mental health and wellbeing support is provided by every employer for all nursing staff
- providing legal protection for people raising concerns about unsafe staffing levels
- eradicating corridor care, with mandatory reporting on each instance through the NHS Standard Contract.
“The health system is in a state of crisis, chronically underfunded and lacking the resources it needs to meet population health needs, with a pattern of short-term emergency funding packages aimed at plugging the gaps. With more than 30,000 nursing vacancies in the NHS in England alone, coupled with over half of nursing staff reporting that they are thinking about leaving the profession, the nursing workforce needs urgent attention.
“Demand for health care services is far outstripping nursing supply and the workforce is under intense pressure. The increasing normalisation of unsafe and ineffective care being delivered in inappropriate settings is a symptom of this state of crisis and a change of course is vital.”
We’re urging RCN members to have their say and vote on the latest NHS pay award for nursing staff on Agenda for Change (AfC) contracts in England. Don’t lose your say on nursing pay. If your details on MyRCN are out of date, your vote won’t count in our consultation on the NHS pay award in England. Log on to MyRCN and check your details.
“Pay is also a key contributor to nursing staff feeling valued in their role and is a crucial mitigation for the growing risk of massive nursing workforce attrition,” Nicola added.
