Responding to the King’s Speech, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Professor Nicola Ranger, said:
“Nursing staff are expecting a period of renewal for our health and care services and a reset with government – today’s policy programme is a move towards delivering that. We particularly welcome the new government’s commitment to repealing anti-trade union legislation, which silences NHS and care workers from speaking up for themselves and their patients.
“The New Deal for Working People and the potential for a historic fair pay agreement in social care can help begin the journey to pay parity with NHS colleagues. The government must honour its pledge to launch an investigation into the exploitation of migrant care workers across the sector, which we will support.
“Reforms to the Mental Health Act are long overdue and could improve care for vulnerable people, raising the focus given to mental health and giving patients more of a say in their treatment – but investment in mental health nursing is needed to boost workforce numbers and transform outcomes.
“The new government is right to focus on our ailing NHS, but measures to increase recruitment into nursing, that are not legislative and not present today, should follow soon. The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan is off target, and it needs fresh political energy and investment. Applications to study nursing have collapsed, and ministers should introduce government-funded degrees in the interests of patient safety.
“A corridor care national emergency is claiming lives and requires immediate government intervention. The first step must be to introduce mandatory reporting to reveal the extent of hospital overcrowding. Ministers must also work with clinical leaders at the RCN to look at the evidence that supports the introduction of safety-critical nurse-patient ratios.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
The first two paragraphs respond to the announcement in the speech of the Employment Rights Bill: "My Government is committed to making work pay and will legislate to introduce a new deal for working people to ban exploitative practices and enhance employment rights [Employment Rights Bill]. It will seek to establish the appropriate legislation to place requirements on those working to develop the most powerful artificial intelligence models."
The section on mental health is a response to in this section of the speech, which refers to the Mental Health Bill: "My Government will improve the National Health Service as a service for all, providing care on the basis of need regardless of the ability to pay. It will seek to reduce the waiting times, focus on prevention and improve mental health provision for young people. It will ensure mental health is given the same attention and focus as physical health. My ministers will legislate to modernise the Mental Health Act so it is fit for the twenty first century [Mental Health Bill]."
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
