NEWS
Three quarters of healthcare assistants feel staffing levels have deteriorated at their workplace over the past year. The finding emerged from a Unison survey of almost 2,000 healthcare assistants (HCAs), which also revealed that 40 per cent of respondents had given ‘very’ or ‘fairly’ serious consideration to leaving the NHS in the past year. The most common reason given for wanting to leave was a sense of being undervalued by the employer. And only 7.5 per cent agreed with the statement ‘I feel my role is respected by the government’. A Unison spokesperson said: ‘The most worrying aspect of the survey’s findings is that 78.4 per cent felt that the adequacy of staffing levels had decreased in the past year. ‘Furthermore, only 15.8 per cent felt that staffing levels were adequate in their clinical areas.’ The results were presented at Unison’s 2013 HCA seminar in Liverpool earlier this week.
BARNEY NEWMAN
EMPLOYERS FAIL TO VALUE SUPPORT STAFF, HCAs SAY
Tributes paid to nurses killed in conflict Crosses were laid on behalf of the RCN in the field of remembrance outside Westminster Abbey in London last week by council member Rachel Greaves (above left) and president Andrea Spyropoulos. They planted two crosses in tribute to nurses killed in conflict. The field
of remembrance, which honours the nation’s war dead, was created in November 1928. On Sunday, RCN general secretary Peter Carter and deputy president Cecilia Anim joined two nurses from the college’s defence nurses forum at a Remembrance Day service in St Paul’s Cathedral.
Carter criticises ‘divisive’ flu jab funding restriction RCN general secretary Peter Carter has criticised the government for attaching strings to the £500 million in extra funding being given to struggling A&E departments in England. Prime minister David Cameron announced the two-year funding in August as a short-term measure to help A&E units prepare for winter pressures. In September, health secretary Jeremy Hunt revealed which 53 trusts would receive the first share of £250 million allocated for this winter. He said a condition for receiving next year’s share would be that trusts must ensure at least 75 per cent of their staff are vaccinated against flu this year. But Dr Carter told an RCN council meeting in London last week: ‘It has
in Brighton last week that A&E departments need adequate numbers of specialist emergency nurses to cope with winter pressures. Ms Youd said it is essential that nurses employed to provide extra cover on emergency wards have TRUSTS THAT COULD appropriate experience. n Research by the foundation trust USE THE FUNDING regulator Monitor reveals that nearly WILL NOT GET IT one in four NHS walk-in centres – – Peter Carter which allow patients to see a nurse or GP without any need to register or ‘It was wrong to link whether staff have book an appointment – has closed in recent years. been vaccinated with funding for our More than half the 2,000 patients health service.’ surveyed by Monitor said they would Meanwhile, RCN emergency care have to make alternative arrangements association chair Janet Youd told if their local walk-in centre closed. her organisation’s annual conference
been divisive, because a lot of trusts that would make a reasonable fist of spending the money are saying they are not going to get a slice of it.’ Nursing practice and policy committee chair Ian Norris added:
8 november 13 :: vol 28 no 11 :: 2013 NURSING STANDARD Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Oct 04, 2015. For personal use only. No other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
Three quarters of healthcare assistants feel staffing levels have deteriorated at their workplace over the past year. The finding emerged from a Unison survey of almost 2,000 healthcare assistants (HCAs), which also revealed that 40 per cent of respondents had given ‘very’ or ‘fairly’ serious consideration to leaving the NHS in the past year. The most common reason given for wanting to leave was a sense of being undervalued by the employer. And only 7.5 per cent agreed with the statement ‘I feel my role is respected by the government’. A Unison spokesperson said: ‘The most worrying aspect of the survey’s findings is that 78.4 per cent felt that the adequacy of staffing levels had decreased in the past year. ‘Furthermore, only 15.8 per cent felt that staffing levels were adequate in their clinical areas.’ The results were presented at Unison’s 2013 HCA seminar in Liverpool earlier this week.
BARNEY NEWMAN
EMPLOYERS FAIL TO VALUE SUPPORT STAFF, HCAs SAY
Tributes paid to nurses killed in conflict Crosses were laid on behalf of the RCN in the field of remembrance outside Westminster Abbey in London last week by council member Rachel Greaves (above left) and president Andrea Spyropoulos. They planted two crosses in tribute to nurses killed in conflict. The field
of remembrance, which honours the nation’s war dead, was created in November 1928. On Sunday, RCN general secretary Peter Carter and deputy president Cecilia Anim joined two nurses from the college’s defence nurses forum at a Remembrance Day service in St Paul’s Cathedral.
Carter criticises ‘divisive’ flu jab funding restriction RCN general secretary Peter Carter has criticised the government for attaching strings to the £500 million in extra funding being given to struggling A&E departments in England. Prime minister David Cameron announced the two-year funding in August as a short-term measure to help A&E units prepare for winter pressures. In September, health secretary Jeremy Hunt revealed which 53 trusts would receive the first share of £250 million allocated for this winter. He said a condition for receiving next year’s share would be that trusts must ensure at least 75 per cent of their staff are vaccinated against flu this year. But Dr Carter told an RCN council meeting in London last week: ‘It has
in Brighton last week that A&E departments need adequate numbers of specialist emergency nurses to cope with winter pressures. Ms Youd said it is essential that nurses employed to provide extra cover on emergency wards have TRUSTS THAT COULD appropriate experience. n Research by the foundation trust USE THE FUNDING regulator Monitor reveals that nearly WILL NOT GET IT one in four NHS walk-in centres – – Peter Carter which allow patients to see a nurse or GP without any need to register or ‘It was wrong to link whether staff have book an appointment – has closed in recent years. been vaccinated with funding for our More than half the 2,000 patients health service.’ surveyed by Monitor said they would Meanwhile, RCN emergency care have to make alternative arrangements association chair Janet Youd told if their local walk-in centre closed. her organisation’s annual conference
been divisive, because a lot of trusts that would make a reasonable fist of spending the money are saying they are not going to get a slice of it.’ Nursing practice and policy committee chair Ian Norris added:
8 november 13 :: vol 28 no 11 :: 2013 NURSING STANDARD Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Oct 04, 2015. For personal use only. No other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
