Findings from an employment poll released last week by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) worryingly state that some 15,000 nurses and healthcare assistants expect to be made redundant in the next 12 months.
The survey of around 8,000 staff included more than 6,000 nurses and healthcare assistants working in the NHS, and demonstrates the growing impact the current financial squeeze is having on the healthcare service.
In addition to recruitment freezes, unfilled posts and ward closures, more than half of nurses (52%) said they were now too busy to provide the level of care they would like, with 32% saying the quality of patient care is going down.
Nurses are also working extra hours. 57% say they do so each shift, or at least several times a week.
We welcome the news that the RCN has tabled an amendment calling for guaranteed safe staffing levels in advance of the decision on the Health and Social Care Bill, which is being made today in the House of Lords, and we anticipate the outcome.
Our Protect Parkinson's nurses campaign which launched in July is designed to protect and grow the vital front line work that specialist Parkinson's nurses carry out across the UK. These statistics are therefore concerning when considering the impact that cuts or reduced staffing would have for people with Parkinson's.
Despite the Government wanting to protect services, should future cuts be implemented, we are likely to see patients experiencing longer waiting times, poor care and a worse NHS system. This will have a devastating impact on anyone affected by Parkinson's.
You can support our ongoing campaign to protect the vital frontline services of Parkinson's nurses by visiting parkinsons.org.uk/faircare
What do you think about the threat to nurse positions? Share your views with us.
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6 comments:
Personally speaking I don't know what I would have done without the help of the Parkinson's nurses over the years - their expertise, patience and advice has been invaluable.
I fully support any campaign to protect the vital frontline services
Thanks very much for your comment.
As part of our Fair Care for Parkinson's campaign, we'd love to hear other people's experiences of Parkinson's nurses. Submit your comments at http://www.parkinsons.org.uk/nursemap - and you can look at our map to see what other people around the UK have said.
If you have a Parkinson's nurse, tell us what your nurse means to you. Or tell us why you need a Parkinson's nurse.
My husbands Parkinson Nurse has been there for both of us when we have been experiencing problems.If we didn't have this help we would have been bereft.Normal people don't realise what it is to suffer from this disease and what it means to have help at hand
If savings have to be made in the NHS I suggest that some of the top heavy administrators be the first to go.
My husband has Young Onset Parkinsons and the help and support he has received from the specialist nurse has been wonderful.
Our Parkinsons nurse at the hospital says she is not responsible for those except Parkinsons sufferers who see the Consultants in that hospital. My husband is over 75 and it is apparent that all helps stops at/over that age. He sees a Geriatrician approximately every 6 months and that is all the "help" we get. One of our friends whose husband is in a care home also contacted our local Parkinsons nurse for assistance and was turned down for the very reason I gave above.
My wife has not had a single visit from a Parkinsons nurse in the last 3 years and if it had not been for the help we have received from our Apomorphine nurse we would be left with a brief 15 minute assessment with her consultant every 6 months.
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