Responding to claims of misogynistic behaviour in government during the COVID-19 pandemic, Royal College of Nursing Chief Nurse, Professor Nicola Ranger, said:
“As a 90 per cent female profession, nursing staff will find today’s reminders painful. These cavalier and misogynistic attitudes left nursing staff, especially women, at even greater risk and with deadly consequences.
“Yesterday’s men relied on nursing staff to deliver care to the highest standard, whilst failing to meet basic professional standards themselves.
“To hear that the government believed the NHS and its people were ‘elastic’ explains the way they treated us – and why we were pushed too far. Our basic needs were overlooked and our goodwill was abused. Regrettably, these lessons appear not to have been learnt.”
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Notes to Editors
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is the voice of nursing across the UK and is the largest professional union of nursing staff in the world. The RCN promotes the interests of nurses and patients on a wide range of issues and helps shape healthcare policy by working closely with the UK Government and other national and international institutions, trade unions, professional bodies and voluntary organisations.
For more information, contact the RCN press office at 020 7647 3633 or email mediateamhq@rcn.org.uk
