The Last Shift survey found that only a third of shifts had adequate staffing, with patients being left to die alone, prompting the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) to demand a minimum staffing level in the NHS to be made a legal requirement by the next government to ensure patient safety.
According to a survey of 11,000 nurses, a third of hospital shifts were lacking at least a quarter of the required registered nurses, while nearly 4 in 10 community shifts were missing up to half of the planned number of registered nurses. The RCN is advocating for safety-critical limits on the maximum number of patients a single nurse can care for to address the issue.
Nurses have reported feeling demoralized and compromising patient safety, with some having to oversee over 51 patients during a single shift. The RCN’s acting general secretary, Professor Nicola Ranger, emphasized the urgency of investing in the nursing workforce and enshrining safety-critical nurse-patient ratios in law.
The RCN has compiled a list of demands for the next government, including substantial pay rises, an end to strike restrictions, mental health support for nursing staff, and protection for whistleblowers raising concerns about staffing levels. Additionally, the organization is calling for increased funding for nursing degrees, job guarantees for graduates, and professional development opportunities.
The RCN is also advocating for an end to the exploitation of health and social care workers, improved funding for the sector, and the elimination of punitive immigration policies. They are pushing for increased overseas aid spending to address global nursing shortages and legal protection for the title of “nurse” similar to that of “doctor.” Please rewrite this sentence.
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