RCN responds to Labour's healthcare election announcements
Responding to Labour's healthcare election announcements Dame Donna Kinnair, Chief Executive and General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing said::
“Labour is the first party this election to pick up our call for at least £1 billion annually for nursing education, and all political parties must show this same direction. Staff shortages are the single biggest threat to patient care and there are tens of thousands of vacant nurse jobs in England right now. This funding must be forthcoming every year - not a one-off - to stand a chance of helping, and must be recognised as only the starting point of a package of investment in nurse education.
“No matter how people voted in the EU referendum, nobody wants the NHS left open to a carve-up as a result of post-Brexit trade deal. Brexit chaos and rows about deals cannot become a distraction from solving the mounting nurse shortage at home.
“All parties now need to commit to invest in nursing - there are nurses in every constituency and they need a Parliament and UK Government that supports them."
In a further letter sent to party leaders Dame Donna Kinnair said:
“Individual nursing staff and the public are too often left carrying risk when shifts are short-staffed. Investing in our health and care services is a political choice – we need sustained investment to improve lives and help services meet the needs of our population.”
Referencing the £400 per year Immigration Health Surcharge in the letter, she adds:
“This fee must be waived completely. It is an unacceptable price to pay – especially for those working in our health and care services who already pay national insurance and income taxes, as well as directly contributing to our health and social care services through their valuable work.”
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
Donna Kinnair has written to the leaders of the Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat, Green, Brexit and Change UK parties. The RCN’s Country Directors in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have written similar letters to political parties in those nations.
