THE RCN (Royal College of Nursing) is warning that cuts to Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) could put patient safety at risk and undermine the government’s Ten Year Health Plan and is calling for every ICB to retain a Chief Nursing Officer.
Alongside plans to abolish NHS England, the government announced a requirement for ICBs to reduce their running costs by 50%.
The RCN is warning that this could result in the loss of senior nursing leaders with vast clinical experience that is central to protecting public health.
In a report released last Friday, the RCN called for there to be a Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) in every ICB to provide crucial strategic leadership and for no nursing roles to be cut without thorough assessment of the impact on patient safety, care quality and equality.
The RCN does not have confidence that either the UK government, NHS England, or ICBs have fully appreciated the scale of risk, nor have they taken adequate steps to protect the public from the impact of the cuts.
The current reforms are also leading to considerable anger amongst staff, with many feeling their skills have been ignored in the plans.
Many are deeply concerned about the lack of clarity about the future of their jobs, even months after the initial announcement.
The RCN is now calling for a renewed conversation with government on the cuts to ICBs and the direct involvement of nursing staff in plans for the future of local health services.
Executive Director of RCN England Patricia Marquis said: ‘Nursing staff in ICBs have led the way in planning and commissioning local health care.
‘They are not only central to the safe delivery of services for patients, but also in designing the services of the future. At a time of huge transformation, their expertise is priceless and we cannot afford to lose them in a cost-cutting exercise.
‘We need nurses influencing the health care in every ICB and that must include a chief nurse with a seat at the top table.
‘Leaving those with clinical expertise and local knowledge out of discussions devalues the profession and risks the successful delivery of the ten-year plan for the NHS.’
