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| Nurse leaders issue warning over staff numbers | Nurse leaders issue warning over staff numbers |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Senior nurses have issued an "unprecedented warning" about hospital ward staffing levels in England. | Senior nurses have issued an "unprecedented warning" about hospital ward staffing levels in England. |
| The Safe Staffing Alliance says hospital wards regularly have each registered nurse looking after eight patients - which they say is unsafe. | The Safe Staffing Alliance says hospital wards regularly have each registered nurse looking after eight patients - which they say is unsafe. |
| The group, which included the Royal College of Nursing, Unison and the Patients Association, says safe nursing levels have been ignored for too long. | The group, which included the Royal College of Nursing, Unison and the Patients Association, says safe nursing levels have been ignored for too long. |
| The government said hospitals were responsible for their own staffing. | The government said hospitals were responsible for their own staffing. |
| The Safe Staffing Alliance, which also includes a number of directors of nursing at English hospitals, was formed last summer. | The Safe Staffing Alliance, which also includes a number of directors of nursing at English hospitals, was formed last summer. |
| It says the one nurse to eight patients ratio should not be regarded as a minimum acceptable level of staffing. | It says the one nurse to eight patients ratio should not be regarded as a minimum acceptable level of staffing. |
| And it says research has shown the risk of harm and death increases if a nurse is asked to look after more than eight patients. | And it says research has shown the risk of harm and death increases if a nurse is asked to look after more than eight patients. |
| It is calling for any instances where nurses have to look after more than eight patients to be publicly recorded and investigated. | It is calling for any instances where nurses have to look after more than eight patients to be publicly recorded and investigated. |
| 'Compassionate care' | 'Compassionate care' |
| The alliance quotes a survey of nurses at 31 English hospitals, in which just under 3,000 nurses took part. | The alliance quotes a survey of nurses at 31 English hospitals, in which just under 3,000 nurses took part. |
| They said that wards were run with the one to eight ratio about 40% of the time. | |
| In a statement, the group 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. | In a statement, the group 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." | "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." |
| Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients Association, said the Care Quality Commission had cited staffing levels as a key issue for patients. | Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients Association, said the Care Quality Commission had cited staffing levels as a key issue for patients. |
| "Patients said they thought all staff, and in particular nurses, were overworked," she said. | "Patients said they thought all staff, and in particular nurses, were overworked," she said. |
| "A frequent comment was that staff were caring but that they 'did not have enough time for you'. | "A frequent comment was that staff were caring but that they 'did not have enough time for you'. |
| "The fact is without adequate staffing levels, overstretched nurses are not able to give patients the care they need." | "The fact is without adequate staffing levels, overstretched nurses are not able to give patients the care they need." |
| Health minister Dan Poulter said: "It is for hospitals themselves to decide how many nurses they employ, and they are best placed to do this. | Health minister 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." | "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." |
| And he said the soon-to-be appointed chief inspector of hospitals would be tasked with taking action if hospitals were found to be compromising patient care by not having the right number of staff on wards. | And he said the soon-to-be appointed chief inspector of hospitals would be tasked with taking action if hospitals were found to be compromising patient care by not having the right number of staff on wards. |