Voices - We cannot leave safe staffing to be set locally, insists Susan Osborne

Earlier this month, questions were asked in the House of Lords about why NHS England suspended work on safe staffing guidance being carried out by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Within a couple of weeks of suspending NICE’s work, NHS England published its own guidance on mental health staffing, which was criticised by nurses for its lack of detail on staffing levels and skill mix.