Royal College of Nursing Makes Case for Safe Staffing Levels
Royal College of Nursing Chief Executive and General Secretary, Janet Davies, will warn that Governments across the UK must recruit and retain registered and experienced nurses to ensure that patients get the high quality care that they need.
The call for guaranteed safe and effective staffing levels in all health and care settings across the UK comes as the Royal College of Nursing publishes a report on current staffing in the UK’s NHS. The report highlights the clear and evidenced link between having the right number of registered nurses, safer care and better patient outcomes.
Royal College of Nursing Chief Executive and General Secretary, Janet Davies, will say:
“The RCN wants to see safe staffing legislation which drives meaningful change for nursing teams and patients; ensuring that staff are not under the kind of unrelenting pressure that they are at the moment and that patients receive the best quality care.”
Theresa Fyffe, Director of the Royal College of Nursing in Scotland, will add:
“The Scottish Government is already working constructively with the RCN on safe staffing legislation. The RCN has made clear that safe staffing cannot be achieved by simply putting existing workforce planning tools on a statutory footing.
“The workforce planning model at present is not delivering safe levels of staff for nursing teams or patients. Any legislation must have the teeth to ensure that there are consequences if safe staffing is not in place.
“The RCN will work with the Scottish Government and any decision maker who shares our ambition for safe staffing in Scotland.”
