Responding to the Public Accounts Committee report on urgent and emergency care, Royal College of Nursing Director for England, Patricia Marquis, said:
“Another day, and yet another report into failing NHS services that cannot keep patients safe. Nursing staff have been sounding the siren on staff shortages for years, but the government remains more focused on soundbites than solutions.
“When there aren't enough nurses, care becomes unsafe. Nursing staff are routinely treating patients in corridors - it is undignified for the patient and compromising for the nurse. Often a single nurse can be responsible for 10, 15 or even more very sick patients at one time. Nursing staff often aren’t even able to provide adequate comfort at the end of a patient’s life.
“We need the government to take urgent action, to stop our nursing staff leaving the profession. Patient care demands it. We are crying out for funding and detail on the workforce plan - there is still very limited progress on closing the gap in nursing vacancies.”
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Notes to editors
Public Accounts Committee - Access to urgent and emergency care
