Responding to the latest NHS England vacancy statistics and urgent and emergency care daily situation report, RCN Director for England, Patricia Marquis, said:
“With more than 13,000 patients a day stuck in hospitals because the community and social care they need to be safely discharged is unavailable, it’s easy to see why health and care is at breaking point.
“Combined with a record 47,000 nurse vacancies across the NHS in England, this is precisely the reason why our members have decided to strike - because the workforce gaps and being underpaid have made care unsafe.
“Ministers have repeatedly ignored our calls to address the workforce crisis and to put serious investment in nursing, including fair pay.
“They’ve also dismissed our offer of serious negotiations on pay and patient safety – unless the health secretary changes course 100,000 nurses will be walking out in two weeks’ time.”
Ends
Notes to Editors
The NHS England Urgent and Emergency Care Daily Situation Report and NHS England Vacancy Statistics were both published on Thursday 1 December 2022.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is the voice of nursing across the UK and is the largest professional union of nursing staff in the world. The RCN promotes the interests of nurses and patients on a wide range of issues and helps shape healthcare policy by working closely with the UK Government and other national and international institutions, trade unions, professional bodies and voluntary organisations.
