DATA from the independent World Health Organisation shows that the UK’s nurse to population ratio has fallen from 12.2 in 1997 to 8.9 per thousand in 2013. But this is only part of the story.
Not only has the Government failed to ensure that there are sufficient nurses to meet current needs, they have also undermined nursing morale by failing to deliver a genuine pay increase, increasing nursing workloads and making nurses work longer until retirement, with a reduced pension at the end of the road. What a way to reward loyalty and enhance patient care.
Gordon Lees, Royal College of Nursing
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