healthmedicinet

The SSA, which includes the Royal College of Nursing, Unison and the Patients
Association, said that nurse staffing levels have been ignored for too long,
the BBC said.

The alliance quoted a survey of almost 3,000 nurses at 31 English hospitals
which found that wards were run with a ration of one nurse for eight
patients about 40% of the time.

In a statement the SSA said: “For the sake of clarity, more than eight
patients per registered nurse is the level considered to be unsafe and
putting patients at risk. It is not a recommended minimum.

“For nurses to provide compassionate care which treats patients with
dignity and respect, higher levels will be needed and these should be
determined by every health care provider.”

The survey by Nursing Standard and the Sunday Mirror also found that almost
half of nurses had seen patients suffer as a result of services being cut.
But 57.5% of nurses said they were still proud to work for the NHS.

Royal College of Nursing general secretary Dr Peter Carter told the newspaper: “What
happened at Mid Staffordshire was a tragedy, and for nurses to say they
predict another scandal is very worrying indeed.

“The issues of unsafe staffing levels, unregulated health care
assistants, and a financially driven culture must be addressed.”

The Government said hospitals were responsible for their own levels of
staffing.

Health Minister Dr Dan Poulter said: “It is for hospitals themselves to
decide how many nurses they employ, and they are best placed to do this.

“Nursing leaders have been clear that hospitals should publish staffing
details and the evidence to show that staff numbers are right for the care
needs of the patients that they look after.

“Overall, the number of clinical staff in the NHS has risen and the
number of admin staff has fallen by 18,000.”

Mr Poulter said a new chief inspector of hospitals would have powers to take
action if hospitals are found to be compromising patient care by not having
the right number of staff on wards.

Professor Elizabeth Robb, chief executive of the Florence Nightingale
Foundation, added: “For the first time ever, nursing’s leadership is
united on this.

“We are coming together to stand up for patient safety and for the
profession.

“We are saying that, with a ratio of one registered nurse to more than
eight patients, there is a significantly increased risk of harm. We hope
that by coming up with a figure we will give directors of nursing the
evidence they need to argue for the staffing levels necessary to provide
good care.

“If Government are saying that staffing levels are a local decision, then
it is more important than ever to set out clear guidance.”