The number of district nurses has fallen by almost 50% over the past seven years. With their skill set more in demand than ever as people are living longer with long-term conditions, this appears to fly in the face of logic, says workforce expert James Buchan
Policy attention is increasingly focusing on the contribution of volunteers to help expand the NHS workforce. But like all health service employees they must be trained to be part of the team, says workforce expert James Buchan
The end of year report from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service shows a crash in the number of mature entrants but suggests nurse education can help with social inclusion, says workforce expert James Buchan
Care bots – robots that assist older people – are being used in Japan, and researchers in the US are looking to create robotic nurse assistants. The good news for registered nurses is that they are unlikely to be replaced by technology just yet, says workforce expert James Buchan
The fact that the new nursing associate role is only being considered in England adds to the divergence of nursing policy across the four countries of the UK, says workforce expert James Buchan.
When the supply of pilots fell short of demand, Ryanair cancelled flights. But the NHS has limited scope to manage demand during winter, leaving little room for manoeuvre should there be a major flu outbreak, says workforce expert James Buchan.
Plans by the Department of Health to increase the number of medical student places have cost implications for nursing, because other NHS programmes will receive less if no new money is found, says workforce expert James Buchan.
The Scottish Government says it will scrap the 1% public sector pay cap next year, and there is speculation England may follow suit. But even if a decision is made to remove the cap, questions remain about how that will be achieved, says workforce expert James Buchan.
Although the data should be treated with caution, the message is clear: both sides of the England-Scotland border are reporting the highest ever number of nursing vacancies, says workforce expert James Buchan.
With nurse turnover having huge financial implications for employers, it is little wonder nurse retention is now a major objective for both Health Education England and NHS Improvement, says workforce expert James Buchan.
NHS Confederation proposal for a £10 billion housing fund for workers shows creativity in supporting NHS staff, says workforce expert James Buchan.
With NHS Improvement halting new rules to cut spending on agency nurses, there may be little scope left to make further savings on temporary staff. But nursing shortages mean the NHS still needs them, says workforce expert James Buchan.
The nursing shortage is about more than Brexit. UK governments, regulators and educators have all helped create the conditions for a crisis.
Lack of clarity on our EU exit terms, combined with scrapping of the student bursary, means no one knows how dependent the UK will be on foreign nurses.
Increasing policy divergence between NHS Scotland and NHS England is making it harder to sustain a UK-wide perspective on the NHS nursing workforce, says workforce expert James Buchan.
With the emphasis on strong nurse leadership, continuing education and adequate staffing levels, Magnet accreditation is highly relevant to current NHS priorities, says workforce expert James Buchan.
Much is made about signs of stability and improvement, but the most important messages for policy makers can often be found in the less positive findings, says workforce expert James Buchan.
Brexit may be playing its part, but new entry requirements for the UK register are also impacting the inflow of EU nurses, says workforce expert James Buchan.