Safe nurse staffing rules given to A&E

Strict guidelines are being given to Accident and Emergency units in England on numbers of staff needed on duty in order to provide safe care to patients.

The guidance, which is being provided by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, recommends that there should be one nurse for every four cubicles, and in the case of cardiac arrest or major trauma patients, there should be two nurses for each patient.

The guidance also recommends that, because of the unpredictable nature of A&Es, staff numbers needed to be kept above average demands.

The guidance also calls for senior nursing staff to be on the look out for red flags that might indicate that something is wrong, for example patients falling or leaving their department without being seen.

Professor Mark Baker from NICE, said “Nursing staff are often among the first to see patients and we know the care they provide is essential for successful treatment of every patient.

“Ensuring there are enough available nursing staff with the right skills helps to make sure people in need of immediate medical help will get safe care whatever time of day or night.”

Figures collected from the Royal College of Nursing shows that current vacancy rates for junior nursing staff was between 10 and 20%, with senior nurse numbers also short.

Peter Carter, RCN general secretary, said “For years now, many A&E departments have been understaffed or staffed with temporary or less experienced nursing staff.

“Safe care cannot be delivered without safe nurse staffing levels.”

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Posted by Tony May, Partner/head of Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), Medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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