RCN responds to proposals for updating health and care legislation
Responding to NHS England and NHS Improvement proposals for health and care legislation, Dame Donna Kinnair, Chief Executive and General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing said:
“We are pleased that NHS England and NHS Improvement has recognised the concerns of RCN members and the public and has stated that the issue of accountability for workforce planning and supply remains an area that needs be resolved.
“In the week after we have launched a major public facing campaign calling for investment in the nursing workforce as well as for accountability to be clarified in the law, yet again the case is made for this to be taken seriously.
“We are clear that government is well placed to determine how accountability can be clarified in law.
“We also see the proposals on changes on health and care integration and procurement processes as a positive step. These should go some way to streamlining the processes of commissioning services and improve links between commissioners and providers.”
“Staff shortages have reached alarming levels with at least 40,000 vacant registered nurse posts in the NHS in England alone with thousands more vacancies in public health and social care.”
“We now hope government will listen to this message as well as the voices of the thousands of members that responded to the NHS England and NHS Improvement engagement process and bring forward this legislation, taking the opportunity to include accountability in government and throughout the health and care system, for workforce planning and supply.”
ENDS
