Speaking from a conference with several hundred NHS reps today, Professor Nicola Ranger, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive, said: 

“The chaotic reorganisation that created NHS England cost billions and took money and attention away from clinical care. Nobody can afford a repeat now that NHS performance is already at a historic low and money is scarce.

“NHS England was created to put distance between government and the problems of the health service. Today, the government has confirmed who owns the real problems - understaffed services, poor quality care and long waits, not bureaucratic structures. The government must not lose sight of the public’s priorities.

“As the largest workforce in the NHS, delivering the vast majority of care, it is vital our expertise is heard at the top table of government. The chief nurse must have a place alongside the other new medical directors within the department.”

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