Press Releases
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21/02/2024
Press Release
Royal College of Nursing responds to The King's Fund review on mental health care in England
RCN Head of Nursing Practice and Professional Lead for Mental Health Stephen Jones said: “It’s positive to see increased access and investment in mental health services in England, but the size of the mental health nursing workforce is only just returning to 2010 levels as demand continues to rise."
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21/02/2024
Press Release
Royal College of Nursing responds to the roll out of Martha’s Rule to hospitals in England
Royal College of Nursing Director for England Patricia Marquis said: “Nursing staff are patients’ greatest advocates and stand ready to ensure Martha’s Rule has an immediate impact and leaves a lasting legacy."
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15/02/2024
Press Release
‘Emergency package of measures’ needed following collapse in nursing applicants, RCN tells government
The government must use the budget to introduce an emergency package of measures to support nurse recruitment, says RCN leader Pat Cullen after new official figures from UCAS show a further sharp drop in applicants to nursing courses for the next academic year.
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15/02/2024
Press Release
International students drive increase in applications to study nursing in Wales whilst number of Welsh applicants falls
RCN Wales welcomes a small increase in applications for nursing studies next year.
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14/02/2024
Press Release
Royal College of Nursing responds to The King’s Fund report ‘Making care closer home a reality'
Royal College of Nursing Director for England, Patricia Marquis, said: “The NHS, its patients, and staff experience a drag towards the hospital. That model does not always deliver appropriate, necessary, or safe care and this report clearly demonstrates the level of aspiration required."
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12/02/2024
Press Release
Royal College of Nursing responds to a Press Association analysis showing a sharp increase in overseas staff working in the NHS
Royal College of Nursing General Secretary and Chief Executive, Pat Cullen, said: “Ministers need to show they value nursing and provide the investment needed to deliver the workforce plan, starting with fair pay, or they risk continuing to miss their targets on cutting waiting times and leave patient care at risk.”
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08/02/2024
Press Release
Nursing union says it’s safe to bet the Prime Minister will fail on his waiting times pledge before election
Responding to the latest data showing the NHS England waiting list sitting at 7.60m, Royal College of Nursing Director for England, Patricia Marquis, said: “Patients are suffering because the Prime Minister has failed to make real progress on his waiting list pledge. At this rate, it's a safe bet that millions will still be waiting for care when the election is called."
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08/02/2024
Press Release
New data from nursing union reveals almost half of nursing staff working in GP practices received no pay rise last year, despite government promise
RCN England Director, Patricia Marquis, said: "Relations between nursing staff and the government have never been so strained. Nursing pay needs a fresh start – staff report feeling undervalued and undermined after over a decade of pay restraint, and late pay awards."
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06/02/2024
Press Release
Royal College of Nursing responds to new race discrimination report
RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Pat Cullen, said: “The findings of this report should force us all to act. It’s critical that we not only talk about racism but act in a decisively anti-racist way."
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05/02/2024
Press Release
Royal College of Nursing responds to the Times Health Commission report
Royal College of Nursing (RCN) General Secretary and Chief Executive Pat Cullen said: “Nurses have been warning that the NHS is on life support for years – it will never be back on stable footing unless greater value is put on staff. There’s a crisis in the recruitment and retention of registered nurses. Pay must be improved to recognise their safety-critical skills and working conditions improved – right now abuse and burnout are normalised. It’s an unacceptable disgrace."
Page last updated - 21/02/2025
