The Royal College of Nursing publishing results from its Employment Survey, which highlights how pressures on workload and staffing levels can impact on patient care.

The survey shows fewer nurses responding positively to views on workload, particularly those working in the NHS. Over half of the respondents (55%) say that there aren’t enough staff to meet patient needs and that nurses are looking after more patients on the wards.

RCN Chief Executive Dr Peter Carter says that the survey shows that health care staff are exhausted by the pressure to make efficiencies and frustrated by being prevented from delivering the quality of care they want to provide.

“Staff are concerned that they are delivering the basics but are unable to provide the full range of quality care they would like,” he says.

Findings from the RCN’s Labour Market Review, published at the same time, also warn of a shortfall in the number of nurses in coming years. Approximately 200,000 nurses are expected to retire in the next ten years, there will be fewer newly qualified nurses and as a result of restrictions on migration fewer nurses will be moving to the UK, the report shows. The RCN expects the impact to be felt in community settings earlier and harder as nurses working in nursing homes, general practice and NHS community nursing tend to be older than other registered nurses.

Dr Carter adds:

“The nursing workforce has grown in recent years but only just enough to keep up with rising demands on health care. We expect the next few years will be the most challenging for staff levels in decades, especially with the drive to provide more services in the community.”

The RCN is also launching its general election manifesto to coincide with the launch of the Employment Survey and labour market review.

Source