THE SETTING OF NURSE STAFFING LEVELS MUST BE EVIDENCE-BASED The following letter was sent for publication to The Times newspaper The suspension of NICE’s vital work on safe nurse staffing levels is a damaging step back, not only for nursing but for all who use the NHS and care about its future. Despite proven links between registered nurse staffing and patient outcomes, the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust failed to take account of the risks of low staffing levels, with tragic consequences. Sir Robert Francis’ inquiry into that scandal, specifically recommended that NICE produce guidance on safe staffing. In November 2013 the government announced NICE would produce guidelines for a range of settings. Two of the planned nine have been completed. At a time of increasing financial constraint when services are struggling to recruit and retain nurses, responding to the evidence on safe staffing will doubtless pose huge challenges. The need for independent evidence-based guidance on safe staffing has never been greater. We urge the secretary of state to ask NICE to continue with this important work as planned.
effectively and efficiently. Every trust we work with sets its own bank pay rates, which we must adhere to. These rates vary between trusts depending on location, day of the week and shift time. All our bank workers are entitled to holiday pay and can choose to benefit from matched contributions to a pension scheme. We are working with a number of trusts that are reviewing their bank pay rates in an effort to ensure patients are cared for by the trusts’ own bank staff and dependency on agencies is minimised.
Baroness Emerton; Elizabeth Robb, Florence Nightingale Foundation; Katherine Murphy, Patients Association; Gail Adams, Unison; Dr Peter Carter, Royal College of Nursing; Graham Scott, editor, Nursing Standard; Prof Dame Jessica Corner, Council of Deans for Health
Peggy Pryer, retired RCN member
NHS PROFESSIONALS PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT NHS Professionals is part of the NHS family and we fully support the need for NHS organisations to have greater control over agency spend. As thousands of flexible workers who interact with NHS Professionals daily are aware, we are not an agency, and I was disappointed that we were described in this way (News, May 27). As part of the NHS, we provide a key service to 60 trusts nationwide, helping them manage their workforce
Stephen Dangerfield, chief executive, NHS Professionals
THE CONTRIBUTION MADE BY NURSES FROM OVERSEAS IS IRREPLACEABLE I was upset to read that new immigration rules mean nurses and healthcare assistants from countries such as the Philippines and India, and those from the Commonwealth, will be sent home after five years if they earn less than £35,000 (News, June 3). It is shocking that these staff are being treated in this dismissive way considering the contribution they make to the NHS. Given staff shortages, where does the government think we are going to find the staff to replace them? Nursing should be exempt from this shortsighted move by the authorities. See careers page 64
PATIENTS ARE PEOPLE WITH NAMES, NOT A BED NUMBER OR AN AILMENT Ensuring patients are called by their preferred name is vital to compassionate care, yet I still hear staff refer to patients as ‘bed 16’ or ‘the chest infection’. Staff who refer to a patient by their bed number or ailment are demonstrating a huge lack of respect for that person. The #hellomynameis Twitter campaign highlighted the importance of staff introducing themselves to patients. Perhaps we need something similar to remind us our patients are people, not bed numbers. Donato Tallo, via email
TWEETS OF THE WEEK It seems NICE do not perceive nursing as a therapeutic intervention that requires current evidence to support it @rosbrownlow
This is a backward step. Why would a system wanting #patientsafety not use the best possible approach to review evidence? @JaneEBall
I’m hugely concerned! I’m a staff nurse in A&E and you can’t split yourself into enough places at the minute @Kate_M_85
I wish places weren’t scared of formal complaints. Too few complaints worries me more than too many @Ermintrude2
In England it is v normal for nursing students to have 2nd job – but we don’t provide flexibility to do it @chrisallen_86
One of the great things about #24HrsAE is that it shows just how much the elderly have to teach us if only we’d take the time to ask them. @dougiebrimson
I hope @Number10gov is watching #24HrsAE so he can understand the amazing work the NHS do and how much it means to every single one of us! @armstrong_lucy
Follow Nursing Standard @NurseStandard and join the #NScomment chat on Thursdays at 12.30pm
NURSING STANDARD june No 10 other :: vol uses 29 no 41 :: permission. 2015 33 Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 27, 2015. For personal use only. without Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
effectively and efficiently. Every trust we work with sets its own bank pay rates, which we must adhere to. These rates vary between trusts depending on location, day of the week and shift time. All our bank workers are entitled to holiday pay and can choose to benefit from matched contributions to a pension scheme. We are working with a number of trusts that are reviewing their bank pay rates in an effort to ensure patients are cared for by the trusts’ own bank staff and dependency on agencies is minimised.
Baroness Emerton; Elizabeth Robb, Florence Nightingale Foundation; Katherine Murphy, Patients Association; Gail Adams, Unison; Dr Peter Carter, Royal College of Nursing; Graham Scott, editor, Nursing Standard; Prof Dame Jessica Corner, Council of Deans for Health
Peggy Pryer, retired RCN member
NHS PROFESSIONALS PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT NHS Professionals is part of the NHS family and we fully support the need for NHS organisations to have greater control over agency spend. As thousands of flexible workers who interact with NHS Professionals daily are aware, we are not an agency, and I was disappointed that we were described in this way (News, May 27). As part of the NHS, we provide a key service to 60 trusts nationwide, helping them manage their workforce
Stephen Dangerfield, chief executive, NHS Professionals
THE CONTRIBUTION MADE BY NURSES FROM OVERSEAS IS IRREPLACEABLE I was upset to read that new immigration rules mean nurses and healthcare assistants from countries such as the Philippines and India, and those from the Commonwealth, will be sent home after five years if they earn less than £35,000 (News, June 3). It is shocking that these staff are being treated in this dismissive way considering the contribution they make to the NHS. Given staff shortages, where does the government think we are going to find the staff to replace them? Nursing should be exempt from this shortsighted move by the authorities. See careers page 64
PATIENTS ARE PEOPLE WITH NAMES, NOT A BED NUMBER OR AN AILMENT Ensuring patients are called by their preferred name is vital to compassionate care, yet I still hear staff refer to patients as ‘bed 16’ or ‘the chest infection’. Staff who refer to a patient by their bed number or ailment are demonstrating a huge lack of respect for that person. The #hellomynameis Twitter campaign highlighted the importance of staff introducing themselves to patients. Perhaps we need something similar to remind us our patients are people, not bed numbers. Donato Tallo, via email
TWEETS OF THE WEEK It seems NICE do not perceive nursing as a therapeutic intervention that requires current evidence to support it @rosbrownlow
This is a backward step. Why would a system wanting #patientsafety not use the best possible approach to review evidence? @JaneEBall
I’m hugely concerned! I’m a staff nurse in A&E and you can’t split yourself into enough places at the minute @Kate_M_85
I wish places weren’t scared of formal complaints. Too few complaints worries me more than too many @Ermintrude2
In England it is v normal for nursing students to have 2nd job – but we don’t provide flexibility to do it @chrisallen_86
One of the great things about #24HrsAE is that it shows just how much the elderly have to teach us if only we’d take the time to ask them. @dougiebrimson
I hope @Number10gov is watching #24HrsAE so he can understand the amazing work the NHS do and how much it means to every single one of us! @armstrong_lucy
Follow Nursing Standard @NurseStandard and join the #NScomment chat on Thursdays at 12.30pm
NURSING STANDARD june No 10 other :: vol uses 29 no 41 :: permission. 2015 33 Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 27, 2015. For personal use only. without Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
