Our work to fix the nursing workforce crisis
Join the fight for safe staffing in England
Nursing staff are the heart of our health and care services. They care for us in hospital, advocate for us in our GP surgeries and support us in our own homes. But the simple truth is, there are not enough nursing staff to provide the care that patients need.
There's currently no law about nurse staffing in England. When a workplace is under-resourced, staff have no option but to work under unsustainable pressure. This results in many nursing staff feeling they have no option but to leave the profession.
We've had significant victories to progress towards safer staffing in Scotland and Wales with legislation in both these countries. And in Northern Ireland, where we expect safe staffing legislation to be introduced in the Northern Ireland Assembly in early 2025. Now it's time to make safe nurse staffing a priority in England, too. That's why we're using every means available to influence legislation and win safe staffing in England.
What needs to change?
Patients and nursing staff deserve better. According to a recent survey, only one-third of shifts had enough nursing staff working. 15% of outpatient staff reported having a caseload of more than 51 patients in a single shift. 81% said there were not enough registered nurses to meet the needs of their patients.
The solution is clear. We need safe nurse staffing levels to ensure patients receive the care they deserve. That’s why we’re fighting to set things right for the nursing profession.
We want:
- Corridor care to be eradicated, including mandatory public reporting of each incidenceLegal protection for people raising concerns about unsafe staffing
- The introduction of professionally and legally enforceable nurse-to-patient ratios, with a safety-critical maximum number of patients per registered nurse in every health care setting
- Legislation to protect the ‘nurse’ title in law
- A commitment to introduce or maintain government-funded nursing degrees with investment in higher education and a job guarantee for all registered nurse graduates, reducing the reliance on international recruitment as well as implementing a loan forgiveness scheme for nurses working in public services.
- Government-level accountability for nursing workforce planning and supply in law, with ministers accountable for having enough staff to meet the health needs of the population based on transparent assessments which address inequalities
Raise concerns at work
You are the expert in what safety looks like in your workplace. But, knowing where to start can be challenging.
- Get our guidance on raising concerns at work
- Become a safe staffing champion in your workplace
- Learn about Nursing workforce standards
Safe staffing across the UK
We’re fighting for safe nurse staffing levels across the UK in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. We won’t stop until there are enough nursing staff in the right place at the right time.
Learn more about safe staffing
