Royal College of Nursing has warned of a “deepening workforce crisis” in the NHS in England

Posted 13/11/2012

The BBC has reported today that more than 60,000 posts have either gone or have been placed at risk since the coalition came to power. This estimate by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is based on an analysis of official NHS data and local trust board papers.

The Department of Health has accused the College of “scaremongering” and insists that NHS performance is strong. There is a relentless push for efficiency savings in the NHS. The service is looking for up to £20bn in savings by 2015 which should be channelled back into front-line care. However, an assessment by the RCN has concluded that cuts to posts and services have become “the norm” without the money being reinvested.

The College’s latest Frontline First report says 61,276 NHS posts in England have either gone or have been put at risk since the coalition at Westminster came to power. It says its estimate is based on official NHS data and information from local trust papers looking as far ahead as 2015.

But the RCN says it can see no justification for a decline in nursing numbers at a time of increasing demand for care, with an ageing population, and growing numbers of patients with long-term conditions such as diabetes and kidney disease.
Sophie Bales, a medical injury solicitor at Ashtons Legal, comments:

“The press is reporting daily regarding frontline cuts to NHS services. This latest report highlights that savings are being made by cutting those posts and/or those services which are needed to ensure patient safety.

The Department of Health calls these latest comments from RCN “scaremongering”. However, this is a reality and it is crucial that Ministers start to listen to advice from doctors and nurses as the NHS cannot safely sustain this extent of job losses.

This issue has become of increasing concern since the involvement of private companies in providing NHS services. It worries me that these companies may be looking at the NHS with commercial heads without any experience and/or healthcare knowledge.” Click here to find out more about our Injury Law services.