‘WHOEVER forms the next government must grow the nursing workforce,’ Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Chief Executive & General Secretary Dr Peter Carter warned yesterday.
The warning came in the RCN’s final Frontline First report before the General Election, The Fragile Frontline, which found there are fewer nurses than in 2010 and that an already over-stretched workforce is being forced to carry out even more work, with serious implications for patient care and staff welfare.
The RCN said: ‘Analysis of the workforce numbers finds that while the total number of posts has increased by 6,434, the true picture is less positive.
‘The increase in the total nursing workforce (excluding midwives, health visitors and school nurses), is actually only 1,470.
‘While the number of FTE (full time equivalent) posts has increased, the number of people filling those posts has fallen by 1,845, meaning that fewer nurses are providing more care.
‘The reality on the ground is that there are fewer nurses, providing more care.
‘The Fragile Frontline also highlights other areas which the next government must address as a matter of urgency.
‘The community nursing workforce has been cut by over 3,300, despite NHS plans to move care from hospitals to the community.
‘And the recent increases to student nursing places are not enough to make up for previous cuts, increasing demands and an ageing workforce.
‘The report also reveals that last year over 30,000 potential nursing students were turned away as over 50,000 people applied for just 21,205 places.
‘The figures from UCAS (Universities Colleges Admissions Services) show that there is no shortage of potential nurses to increase the workforce.’
Dr Carter said: ‘We warned that cutting the workforce numbers to fund the NHS reorganisation and to find the efficiency savings was the wrong course to take.
‘The cuts were so severe that we are only just catching up with where we were five years ago. Many areas, like district nursing and mental health, are even worse off.
‘While the health service has spent the last five years running on the spot, demand has continued to increase.
‘Whoever forms the next government must learn from this report and take immediate action to grow the nursing workforce, and ensure it can keep up with demand with a sustainable and long-term plan.
‘Unlike many problems facing the health service, the solution to the nursing workforce is very simple, and is a matter of political will.
‘With more people wanting to nurse than ever, the next government has the power to increase training places and expand the supply of nurses. If it does not, it will be failing a generation of patients.
‘As the election approaches there will be a lot of promises, and many will be forgotten. But the next government can rest assured that it will be judged in five years’ time on whether we have a properly funded health service which is fit for the 21st Century.’