Responding to the latest NHS England data, RCN Director for England, Patricia Marquis, said:
“Our NHS is at the point of collapse but we have a Prime Minister who is detached from the reality of the situation.
“Bed occupancy rates are running at dangerous levels – around 95% – with every square inch of hospital space being used to add more patients, yet there are not more nursing staff to treat the ever growing number of those who need care.
“Hospitals are having to expand into corridors while patients sleep in their cars because there are no beds. There is simply no slack in the system and precious few nursing staff.
“At the same time there is a daily average of 12,809 patients in hospital who are fit to be discharged but there aren’t the community and social care staff to care for them.
“We are urging the Government to show a renewed sense of urgency in opening negotiations on the current NHS pay award – fair pay is the only way to recruit and retain the nursing staff we need.
“We also urgently need to see the Government publish its long-promised NHS workforce plan – which must be fully-funded and provide new investment in both the NHS and social care workforce, including fair pay for nursing staff.”
Ends
Notes to Editors
The latest NHS Urgent and Emergency Care Daily Situation Report is available here.
