Responding to the announcement of the new prime minister, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive, Pat Cullen, said:
“After many weeks of high rhetoric and headline-grabbing claims, the new prime minister must demonstrate to the millions of people in the UK’s health and care workforce that not only is she listening but also delivering. Decisive political action to help them at home and at work has never before been required with such urgency.
“With many of the ills in our health and care services caused by political negligence, they can be addressed by swift political attention too. As the representative of half a million nursing staff she will hear directly from me on our expectations and support for a world-class system.
“Her stewardship of a knife-edge NHS and care system will be a key way that the public will now judge Liz Truss. She must begin by accepting that safe numbers of staff are needed immediately to stand the best chance of reducing waiting lists, giving appointments and quite literally saving lives.
“In ten days from now, we will post ballot papers to 300,000 nursing staff across the UK. After many years of underinvestment, they are standing up for patients and themselves. Until the new prime minister puts forward a fair and adequate proposal, I will continue in asking nursing staff to take strike action.”
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