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Nurses 'drowning in sea of paperwork' | Nurses 'drowning in sea of paperwork' |
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Nurses are "drowning in a sea of paperwork" with more than one sixth of the working week taken up doing non-essential paperwork, a survey suggests. | Nurses are "drowning in a sea of paperwork" with more than one sixth of the working week taken up doing non-essential paperwork, a survey suggests. |
The Royal College of Nursing poll of 6,000 nurses found 17.3% of their hours were spent on tasks such as filing, photocopying and ordering supplies. | The Royal College of Nursing poll of 6,000 nurses found 17.3% of their hours were spent on tasks such as filing, photocopying and ordering supplies. |
Most reported the amount of paperwork was getting worse and was now stopping them providing direct patient care. | Most reported the amount of paperwork was getting worse and was now stopping them providing direct patient care. |
The government has said it wants to reduce bureaucracy by a third. | The government has said it wants to reduce bureaucracy by a third. |
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has already announced a review of bureaucracy, which is being carried out by the NHS Confederation and is due to report back in the coming months. | Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has already announced a review of bureaucracy, which is being carried out by the NHS Confederation and is due to report back in the coming months. |
'Too much duplication' | |
NHS Confederation chief executive Mika Farrar said: "We recognise very much the survey and we are concerned about it. I think it's critical that we make sure our staff have got the maximum amount of time to be with our patients . | |
"We're still doing far too much on paper, far too much duplication and it really is taking away the time nurses could have with patients." | |
The union said its survey showed a culture of "ticking boxes" had developed. | The union said its survey showed a culture of "ticking boxes" had developed. |
The survey, which is being released on the eve of the start of the RCN's annual conference on Monday, also found more than a quarter of nurses said their workplace did not have a ward clerk or administrative assistant to help with clerical duties. | The survey, which is being released on the eve of the start of the RCN's annual conference on Monday, also found more than a quarter of nurses said their workplace did not have a ward clerk or administrative assistant to help with clerical duties. |
RCN general secretary Peter Carter said: "These figures prove what a shocking amount of a nurse's time is being wasted on unnecessary paperwork and bureaucracy. | RCN general secretary Peter Carter said: "These figures prove what a shocking amount of a nurse's time is being wasted on unnecessary paperwork and bureaucracy. |
"Yes, some paperwork is essential and nurses will continue to do this, but patients want their nurses by their bedside, not ticking boxes." | "Yes, some paperwork is essential and nurses will continue to do this, but patients want their nurses by their bedside, not ticking boxes." |
And the union's Janet Davies said: "Ordering supplies and ordering food is a terrible waste of a nurse's salary and nursing skills when actually you could have an admin assistant doing that routine work." | |
But Labour says the current government should take the blame for the nurses' increased workload. | |
Shadow health minister Andrew Gwynne said: "David Cameron is cutting the NHS front line and wasting billions on a chaotic re-organisation, leaving hospitals to operate without enough staff. | |
"Now form-filling is taking nurses away from their patients for longer and longer." |