The Government’s response to Francis doesn’t go far enough in getting to the heart of the issues in Mid Staffs which were about staffing levels, culture and engagement, warned UNISON, the UK’s largest union, today.
While the Government’s response to the Francis report is a step forward for the NHS, the union is warning that it stops short of making some potentially life-saving changes. The Government has missed the opportunity to introduce mandatory safe staffing levels which would be a revolutionary change in patient care. Simply requiring hospitals to publish, and boards to examine, staffing levels just does not go far enough .
Christina McAnea, UNISON Head of Health, said:
“The Government has missed another opportunity to introduce fixed, safe nurse to patient ratios. There is safety in numbers when it comes to caring for patients and this one step would bring about a revolutionary change on the wards. Recommending a “toolkit” to set minimum staffing levels is fine, but what will happen if these are ignored when wards are under pressure, which is almost a daily occurrence in today’s NHS.
“It shames this Government that it has waited so long to announce that it is to recruit 3,700 more nurses – which still falls short of the 6,000 that have disappeared from the NHS since the Coalition came to power. There is no doubt that some hospitals have become dangerously under-staffed because of Government cuts. It has ignored the warning signs and the calls from hospital managers, staff, patients and unions that more nursing staff were needed urgently.
“The focus on nurses is understandable, but it must not be forgotten that the culture of NHS organisations is dependent on the whole healthcare team. It is important that issues of staffing levels and skill mix are considered on an organisational basis and not just within the nursing directorate.
“The Government says it has accepted the thrust of the recommendations in the Cavendish report, but disappointingly it is not supporting regulation for health and social care assistants. The proof of Government intentions will also be dependent on whether it funds these developments such as training and improved pay.
“The response gives a framework for some welcome changes but I am not sure that it gets to the heart of the issue – which is about the culture and staff engagement.
“The statutory duty of candour is rightly being placed on the organisation, not on individuals. This will enable staff to speak out more freely and safely -without fear of reprisals. But we have concerns about a blame culture with blacklisting hospitals which goes against promoting openness and candour.”
ends
