Graham Scott
Agency limits will only work if the cap fits
Limits are to be imposed on the amount of money that many NHS organisations can spend on agency staff, it was announced last week. Every NHS trust that is yet to acquire foundation status – and those that have done so but since run into financial difficulty – will have to keep a tight lid on their spending on temporary nurses and other clinicians.
Unsung nursing heroes deserve recognition
Whenever disaster or tragedy strikes, nurses are often among the first on the scene. Last week was no different, with nurse consultant Tony Kemp one of the first healthcare professionals to attend the Shoreham air crash. In this week’s issue Mr Kemp tells of the horrific scenes he and others witnessed in the immediate aftermath of the incident, and how the various emergency services responded magnificently.
Our talent at the top is still going to waste
Waste in the health service is nothing new, with stories usually focusing on supplies and procurement. But as Nursing Standard reveals this week, there is a serious ongoing issue with the profession’s most senior staff. Too many of them are struggling in their roles and are either being removed from their posts or are walking away having had enough. The wasted talent is nothing short of a scandal.
Language barriers leave us all in limbo
We have all been served in shops by staff with limited English, or endured those conversations on the phone with someone we struggle to understand in a call centre. These are bearable when we are ordering a particular type of coffee or sorting out a mobile phone contract, but how would we feel in such circumstances if we were receiving health or social care from someone who barely spoke our language?
When a student speaks, managers should listen
Raising concerns, speaking out, blowing the whistle – three phrases that mean much the same thing but are equally difficult to do, even for hardened professionals. But imagine being a nursing student on one of your first placements when you notice all is not well, and your early training has taught you that ignoring the problem is not an option.
Add your voice to end of life care consultation
The long-running saga over what – if anything – should replace the Liverpool Care Pathway for those close to death in England appears to be nearing a conclusion. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence issued a draft guideline last week that seeks to resolve the concerns raised by patients’ families that led to the LCP being scrapped in 2014.
Unfair budget inflicts more pain on nurses
Anger, disbelief, outrage and dismay were all in evidence last week after chancellor George Osborne revealed that he would be inflicting five more years of pay restraint on England’s nurses. Much as we have become desensitised to such announcements, news that nursing staff and others across the public sector will only receive annual rises of 1% between now and 2020 still sent shockwaves through the profession.
Tuition fees and loans won’t bring in recruits
Just about every nursing student in the UK has their course funded by one of the four UK governments, and receives a bursary to help with living expenses. These arrangements have been in place for years, with debate focusing primarily on whether students receive sufficient support, rather than on the system itself.
Freed up to be truly effective ward leaders
Often the most interesting discussions at RCN congress take place away from the main hall, in fringe meetings attended by a few dozen of the keenest activists in nearby hotels or small rooms in the conference centre.
NHS needs a workforce plan, not border control
History was made in Bournemouth on Sunday evening. A small, but momentous slice of nursing history was witnessed by around 1,000 RCN members, with many more following events online. Cecilia Anim, a black woman from Ghana, stood before the college’s annual conference and addressed the audience as its elected president and professional leader.
Calm heads are needed in safe staffing debate
In the end all that matters is there being enough staff to deliver high-quality care
Calm heads are needed in safe staffing debate
Of the 290 recommendations in the Francis report, published 26 months ago, one has become the focus of fevered debate over the past couple of weeks. The eminent QC, who spent an entire year running his rule over the NHS, suggested that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence should determine the minimum number of staff and the appropriate skill mix across a range of settings and specialties in England.
Safe staffing sidestep makes the task harder
The response of professional leaders to the announcement has bordered on apoplexy
Safe staffing sidestep makes the task harder
Of all the issues that concerned Nursing Standard readers in the run up to the general election, two stood head and shoulders above the others. Pay, which will always feature prominently in such surveys, and safe staffing levels.
Help! I can't decide how to vote
Can you help Nursing Standard editor Graham Scott make up his mind?
It's no surprise that nurses are prepared to take action over pay
Nursing Standard survey shows that two in three readers would be prepared to take industrial action
Want to uncover poor practice? Then listen to nursing students
The CQC should ask students on placement where the problems lie in England's hospitals, argues Graham Scott