This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
Government action for safer staffing in Wales needed
The Royal College of Nursing says that the Welsh government must take action to address the shortage of registered nurses in the NHS and independent sector in Wales.
New figures show nursing vacancies are at critical levels, with the RCN in Wales saying that there are 1,651 nursing vacancies in the NHS alone in Wales, with additional vacancies in the independent sector.
Therefore, the need to increase opportunities for nurses to work more flexibly and provide access to continuous professional development and strong career frameworks has never been more pressing.
The RCN says the lack of adequate nursing staff is a real threat to the NHS in Wales’s ability to meet the requirements of the Nurse Staffing Levels (Wales) Act 2016, the first legislation of its kind in Europe that seeks to ensure sufficient nurses to care for patient sensitively.
Helen Whyley, Director of the RCN in Wales, said: “Wales needs more registered nurses to deliver care, and a plan to ensure the numbers are increased in both the short and the long term. This means continuing to increase student nursing numbers and urgent measures to safeguard international recruitment and address retention.
“The Welsh NHS continues to rely on the goodwill of registered nurses. They are overworked and under pressure. I am very concerned this continued pressure will result in burn-out and ultimately nurses leaving nursing.”
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