The Royal College of Nursing says more than 6,000 nursing positions have been lost in the NHS in England and immediate action is needed to stop the NHS “sleepwalking into a crisis”.
The RCN says its Frontline First Campaign has identified more than 61,000 posts are at risk or have been axed in the NHS in England with the NHS workforce having fallen by almost 21,000 in the two and a half years – including the loss of more than 6,000 nursing posts.
Peter Carter, chief executive and general secretary of the RCN, said nursing was not being protected in the same way as some other clinical professions, with posts and training places often cut for “purely financial reasons”.
“We believe all clinical professions should be afforded equal protection. Currently, the nursing supply line is being choked and given the importance of nursing to provide high quality care. This has worrying implications for patients. Indeed, if this current trend continues, we fear the worst for patient care in this country.”
He said the effect of the cuts was magnified by the reduction in the number of nursing places offered by the university nursing schools, and it is urging the new body for education and training, Health Education England, to “act now to ensure the profession is fit for the future”.
