Nurse shortage leaves NHS ‘woefully unprepared’ for flu crisis flooding wards, says Royal College of Nursing

Responding to the latest NHS England winter data, RCN Executive Director for England Patricia Marquis, said: 

“The NHS is woefully underprepared for the crisis flooding into its wards this winter. A nursing workforce wracked by widespread vacancies will be doing its best to keep people safe, but the reality is that there are too many patients and too few beds. As this situation threatens to worsen, ministers and health leaders have a duty to ensure vulnerable people are not shoved into corridors and other unacceptable spaces.  

“Vaccination programmes are essential for protecting patients, staff and the wider health service against respiratory illnesses circling this winter, but nursing staff are needed to deliver these too. 

“This winter is exposing the cavernous gap between the low numbers of nursing staff and rising demand from patients. It also demonstrates that we cannot wait much longer to boost capacity in community services and social care. But to do that, ministers must start valuing our profession properly.”