London's nurse vacancy rate is country's highest
Posted 04 June 2018 - 09:31
London's nursing vacancy rate is the highest in the country and RCN calls for urgent government action
London has the highest nursing vacancy rate in England and the RCN is calling on the government to take urgent action to address it.
NHS Improvement revealed last week there were 35,794 nursing vacancies at the end of the last financial year.
London statistics
Figures for London's NHS show:
- It has highest nursing vacancy rate in the country at 14.1% (9,224 vacancies)
- The mental health nursing vacancy rate – 17.6% or 2,103 full-time equivalent – is the highest in the country and twice as high as that in any other region. (Midlands and east 8.7%; north 8.9%; south 8.5%)
- One in three (13) of London’s trusts report financial deficits; the highest being King's College London NHS Foundation Trust where the deficit is £131 million
- Half of trusts are failing to meet the 62-day cancer referral target
(Source: NHS Providers)
RCN London regional director Jude Diggins, said the data painted a picture of a health service doing its best to stay upright in the face of sustained underfunding.
Emergency and cancer targets being missed
Ms Diggins said: 'One in three of the capital’s trusts are now in the red, nursing vacancies remain the highest in the country and essential targets for emergency department and cancer treatment are being missed.
'None of this happened by accident and the responsibility must lie with the government.'
She added that when prime minister Theresa May announces her NHS funding pledge on the health service's 70th anniversary on 5 July, she must do it 'with London's health services, staff and patients in mind'.
'That means new money, that not only puts trusts on to a more sound financial footing, but also lifts their health and care budgets so that they can meet rising demand.’
The NHS Confederation, which represents organisations across the health service, said the NHS Improvement figures provide evidence of a system under strain.
‘In spite of heroic efforts by staff, too many patients are being let down by an understaffed and underfunded system’
Niall Dickson
Chief executive Niall Dickson said: 'In spite of heroic efforts by staff, too many patients are being let down by an understaffed and underfunded system.
'This is not just about hospitals. The whole system is struggling to cope.'
Living cost factor
The situation in London has not improved for years.
Research by the RCN in 2016 revealed London to be short of 10,000 nurses, citing the cost of living as a particular problem.
A recent survey by the college found that nurses working in London have to do a round-trip commute of about 27 miles, adding two to three hours to their day, in many cases on top of a 12-hour shift.
London mayor Sadiq Khan has resisted the RCN's call for him to extend to nursing staff the travel discount given to police. His office said he stands by this decision.
A spokesperson added: ‘The mayor’s decision to freeze all TfL fares for four years is making travel more affordable for all Londoners.'
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