Responding to the government winter pressures announcement, RCN Director for England, Patricia Marquis, said:
“The aspiration in this policy is right – patients should not spend any longer in hospital than they need to.
“But the lack of beds in social care isn’t really the problem, it’s the lack of staff. There is a dire workforce shortage across nursing, and it is biting particularly hard in community services, with the number of district nurses falling significantly in the last decade amid soaring demand and care needs becoming increasingly complex.
“Without investment in staff, providing more facilities – whether it’s more beds in care homes or hospitals – this won’t make a difference.
“Nursing staff are leaving the profession in their droves and pay is a key factor. To halt the exodus, ministers must pay them fairly.”
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