24.06.15
RCN to campaign against suspension of NICE safe staffing guidelines
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has condemned the decision to halt work on the NICE safe staffing guidelines and is to campaign against the decision.
RCN members passed an emergency resolution at the organisation’s annual Congress deploring the decision to halt the work by NICE on safe staffing, and called for the reversal of this decision, which “puts patients’ lives at risk”.
Over 99% of delegates voted in favour of the resolution.
Dr Peter Carter, chief executive and general secretary of the RCN said that the college was shocked at the decision which came “out of the blue”.
“There was a consensus that the number of registered nurses was linked to patient safety – not just among nurses, not just among organisations like the RCN, but by experts including Sir Robert Francis, Sir Bruce Keogh and Don Berwick, not to mention the Department of Health,” he said.
“This was a consensus backed up by reams of research and evidence and our concern is that the decision has been made for financial reasons."
“Make no mistake – taking NICE out of the equation is a backwards step. After years of fighting for patients, nursing staff finally had an assurance that staffing levels would be taken seriously, and set by an independent organisation, using thorough, transparent research.”
The decision to halt the work by NICE was announced by Simon Stevens at the NHS Confederation Annual Conference earlier this month. It is now to be taken forward by NHS England instead.
Dr Carter said that this indicates a return to “the dark days of putting affordability before patient safety”.
“The government must not repeat the mistakes of the past,” he added. “Patients will not forgive them, and nurses have shown today that they will not give up on safe staffing for their patients.”
In a letter, to nursing directors, CCGs and other stakeholders earlier this month, NHS England chief nursing officer Jane Cumming wrote: “This is not about saving money; more about using the money we have as efficiently and effectively as possible. I would not suggest anything that would compromise patient safety.”
A Department of Health spokeswoman said: “We are absolutely committed to making the NHS the safest healthcare system in the world. Key to this is our critical priority that staffing levels are safe.
“NHS trusts will continue to use NICE guidance on safe staffing to ensure high quality patient care. NHS England will take this work forward alongside their programme of service reviews.”
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