Nursing must be at heart of plan to fix NHS, says RCN, as public consultation begins

The UK government has today (21 October) launched a consultation for people to share their experiences of the health service. Responses will help shape the government’s 10 Year Health Plan, set to be published in spring 2025. 

Ministers have told us they want to hear from nursing staff and as the largest workforce in health and social care, your voice must be heard. Nursing staff deliver the vast majority of care in the NHS and you know better than anyone how to make services better for patients. 

This is an opportunity for every member of our profession to influence the government on the short and long-term changes that are needed in the NHS. 

We want the nursing workforce crisis addressed, for patient safety to be protected, an end to corridor care and mental health support available for all nursing staff.  

Health secretary Wes Streeting has already underlined reform in 3 areas of health care for the plan: a move from hospital to community care, digital transformation, and sickness prevention. 

A fundamental shift from hospital to community is crucial, but the reality is that today’s NHS simply does not have the nursing numbers to deliver it. Without new investment, the number of community nurses will stay on track to be half what it was 2 decades ago.  

District nurse, health visitor and school nurse numbers have collapsed between 2009 and 2024, falling by 45%, 32% and 31% respectively across the NHS in England.  

With no government intervention, by the end of this parliament in 2029, this vital group of specialist community nurses is projected to halve in size compared with two decades ago, falling from 18,070 in 2009 to just 8,995 by 2029. 

Nursing staff are ready to help deliver the modernisation our health service needs, but staff are overworked and chronically undervalued.  

RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Professor Nicola Ranger said: “The government’s ambitions are the right ones, but to work they will require the expertise of our profession. Through this review, we must begin to see specific commitments and plans to stabilise nursing and unlock our potential to transform patient care.   

“The last decade has been characterised by widespread staff shortages, collapsing nurse recruitment and worsening morale. The next 10 years must promise to be brighter, but that will require new investment alongside any reforms. A shift to community care and a preventative health model is going to need 10s of thousands more nurses.  

“The RCN will be encouraging all its members to share their expert views and put nursing at the heart of the 10 Year Plan.”   

The RCN was part of the expert group which engaged with Professor Lord Darzi on his independent investigation into the performance of the NHS in England, which preceded the launch of this consultation.

We’ll be submitting our views as a royal college and professional body in this consultation, too, as well as encouraging our members to share their experiences, views and ideas for fixing the NHS directly at change.NHS.uk. This will be available until the start of next year, and available via the NHS App.