Royal College of Nursing warns NHS nurse shortages a risk to patient safety

The Royal College of Nursing is warning that shortages of nurses in the NHS are posing a risk to patient safety and the union’s general secretary Pat Cullen said patients were going without the care they needed because of the problems.

Feedback from members in the UK cited concerns including patients going without medicines and deterioration of sick patients going unnoticed.

The government have said that although one in ten posts in England is unfilled, the numbers working in the NHS are rising.

Ms Cullen will set out her concerns in detail during her forthcoming speech to the RCN’s annual conference, which is due to start in Glasgow.

The union gathered feedback from over 20,000 nurses across the UK about their experiences during their most recent shifts.  The feedback showed concerns about safety, with members saying patient care was being compromised.  Nurses cited everything from basic personal care, such as helping patients go to the toilet, through to critically ill patients getting late treatment and medicines not being given.

Figures from the Nursing and Midwifery Council show 25,000 nurses and midwives left the NHS last year, more than were trained domestically, although there are more nurses in total as a result of international recruitment.

Chadwick Lawrence’s specialist team of clinical negligence lawyers have years of experience in medical negligence claims, providing support and guidance after life-changing events.  Not only do we represent clients in Yorkshire, but because of our reputation we also represent clients nationally.

If you believe that you or a relative may have been injured as a result of clinical/medical negligence, please call for free legal advice from our medical negligence solicitors on the freephone number below.

Posted by Tony May, Partner/head of Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

Freephone : 0800 304 7382