Responding to a new report from the Health Foundation that shows a decline in numbers of mental health and community-based nurses, RCN Chief Executive and General Secretary Dame Donna Kinnair, said:
“This independent report paints a bleak picture but it is one our nursing staff know all too well. There simply are not enough to care safely for patients in hospitals, clinics, their own homes or anywhere else.
“Following many years with insufficient workforce, boasts about increases will feel hollow. The heavy demand on NHS and care services, long before the pandemic, was outstripping modest increases in staff numbers in some parts.
“The dramatic falls in key areas highlighted here, such as mental health, show we are getting further from what is needed – not closer. The report highlights concerning figures on the ‘skill mix’ too. Nursing support staff are a fantastic part of the nursing team but boosting their number should not come at the expense of investing in the registered workforce.
“There is no quick solution to this crisis. It will take honesty and investment on the part of government – paying people fairly for their skill and expertise and supporting the next generation of nursing staff through their education.”
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