Seventy-five per cent of public worried about nurse staffing

A survey carried out by YouGov for the Royal College of Nursing, has found that of 1,600 adults polled, three in four do not think there are enough nurses in the NHS to care for patients safely.

There are currently one in nine nursing posts vacant in England and although ministers have said they were taking steps to recruit more nurses, the RCN have branded the situation dangerous.

At the forthcoming RCN annual conference, Janet Davies, general secretary, will say “This is a failure of politicians and policymakers – with an inability to recognise the value of nursing, an unwillingness to listen to those of you who are working in the service and a lack of political will to address it.

“The current shortages are not only dangerous, but a vicious circle too.

“Poor staffing levels are the number-one reason for working-age nurses leaving the register.

“Good nurses do not want to do a bad job.”

In the run-up to the conference, the RCN released feedback from their members stipulating some of the difficulties they were facing. The list included compromising on patient care, not having time to take breaks and being overburdened by paperwork.

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Posted by Karen Motley, Paralegal, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (karenmotley@chadlaw.co.uk), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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