This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
Safe staffing legislation in England gains MP support
Politicians have backed calls made by the Royal College of Nursing for the Health Secretary to have legal accountability for nurse workforce planning and supply.
The RCN’s ongoing safe staffing campaign calls for legislation that makes the Secretary of State accountable for staffing levels in England, following the introduction of similar legislation in Wales and Scotland.
MPs in Westminster overwhelmingly voiced support for greater accountability for safe staffing in the parliamentary debate, ensuring that there is adequate workforce planning for the future of the NHS and guaranteeing safety for patients and staff.
Eleanor Smith MP, who led the debate, said: “Right now, the vacancy rate has reached alarming levels. Frontline staff are propping up the system with no assurance that the situation will be resolved. Staff are starting to vote with their feet and there is not yet the accountability to help us navigate the future that is to come. The crisis has come about because there is no clarity in the existing legal powers and duties to ensure there are enough staff with the right skills, in the right place, at the right time to provide safe and effective care.”
Dame Donna Kinnair, RCN chief executive, said: “40,000 nursing vacancies prove that the current system is not working, and needs reform. Today MPs from across the house voiced the undeniable truth that unless we have more staff, health and care services can’t be delivered safely and effectively, let alone reformed. Their constituents are facing the consequences of this every day, so pressure on ministers can only grow as this crisis drags on.”
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