‘No value for nurses’ – reaction to health secretary’s NHS plan
Posted 23 September 2022 - 10:00
Thérèse Coffey’s plans to get the NHS through a difficult winter was heavily criticised on Twitter for lacking in any workforce planning
‘It clearly shows how little this government values nurses… and the difference we make to our patients’ – nurses have reacted to the omission of the profession from the government’s plan to bolster the NHS.
New health secretary Thérèse Coffey yesterday revealed her plans to get the NHS through what is predicted to be a difficult winter, but it was heavily criticised for lacking in any workforce planning.
Instead, it had a heavy focus on primary care and ensuring patients can see a GP within two
Thérèse Coffey’s plans to get the NHS through a difficult winter was heavily criticised on Twitter for lacking in any workforce planning
‘It clearly shows how little this government values nurses… and the difference we make to our patients’ – nurses have reacted to the omission of the profession from the government’s plan to bolster the NHS.
New health secretary Thérèse Coffey yesterday revealed her plans to get the NHS through what is predicted to be a difficult winter, but it was heavily criticised for lacking in any workforce planning.
Instead, it had a heavy focus on primary care and ensuring patients can see a GP within two weeks.
‘Antiquated view’ that nurses’ role is to give bed baths, bed pans and cups of tea
Taking to Twitter, nurses shared their dismay that once again the profession was overlooked.
Chair of RCN Congress BJ Waltho tweeted it ‘clearly shows how little this government values nurses, their skills, knowledge and the difference we make to our patients and their families’.
While others said it displayed a total lack of respect for nurses.
Thanks @itvnews for interviewing me about the SoS announcement today. Funding for nurses is welcome but we need to value our NHS staff. We don’t have enough nurses or Drs in GP currently. With nurses sadly needing to use food banks themselves, this will get worse… pic.twitter.com/7p3PS0vDq8
— Farzana Hussain (@fhussain73) September 22, 2022
The RCN has called on the government to shift its focus to pay and retention as the health services faces record numbers of nurse vacancies.
It is a sentiment echoed by nurses who say there needs to be incentive for people to take up nursing as a career.
Nurses to be balloted on potential strike action over pay in October
Thérèse Coffey has not got off to a good start with nurses since she was announced as health secretary on September 6. Her first announcement was that her priorities for healthcare were ‘ABCD’ – ambulances, backlogs, care, doctors and dentists, sparking anger for missing ‘N’ for nurses.
Yesterday’s plan sets out in more detail how the government will address Ms Coffey’s main priorities.
This fresh wave of anger will do nothing to help the government as nurses are balloted on potential strike action over pay in October.
In other news
- Call for urgent social care funding for winter ‘health emergency’
- Unions challenge legality of government’s new strike rules
- Compensation doubt for families of nurses who died from COVID-19