RCN says patients are at growing risk as nurses report unsafe staffing levels

NURSING leaders have warned that collapsing growth in the registered nurse workforce, combined with increasingly complex patient needs, is creating a “deadly mix” for patients.

The Royal College of Nursing said staff across hospital and community settings are being left struggling to keep people safe, with more than a quarter saying nurse numbers on their last shift were so far below what was needed that there was a high risk of harm.

The warning comes from the RCN’s latest Last Shift survey, which gathered responses from more than 13,000 nursing staff across the UK.

Professor Nicola Ranger, the RCN’s General Secretary and Chief Executive, is expected to tell more than 3,000 frontline nursing staff at the union’s annual Congress in Liverpool that governments are failing in their duty to keep patients safe.

She will say that widespread registered nurse vacancies are always unsafe, but that the risk is now being made worse by an ageing and sicker population with more complex needs.

Four in five nursing staff said clinical complexity had increased over the past two years, while only one in ten said staffing was at the right level to meet all patient needs. More than two thirds said they were being forced to make difficult decisions about which care to prioritise.

In Wales, nurses and health care support workers described growing pressure across wards and community services.

A nurse working on an older people’s ward in the NHS in Wales said: “We need to increase the agreed establishment; nurse to patient ratio due to increasing acuity, dependency and complexity of patients’ condition and presentation.

“More and more patients are now presenting with worsening cognitive function and often display challenging behaviour.”

A health care support worker from an inpatient mental health unit in Wales said: “Our ward has been bombarded with high acuity for around a year now and staffing levels have barely seen an increase.”

The RCN said the findings also show the toll on staff wellbeing. More than three quarters of respondents said they felt emotionally exhausted on their last shift, with exhaustion highest among those who said their shift was understaffed.

RCN Wales Executive Director Nicola Williams said: “Nursing staff across Wales are telling us clearly that staffing levels are not matching the complexity and intensity of care patients now need.

“Too many shifts are operating without enough registered nurses to deliver safe and effective care.

“When more than a quarter of nursing staff describe staffing levels as unsafe and nearly half report compromised care, we need to listen and take action to address it.”

She said members were “going above and beyond every day” but were demoralised, missing breaks and having training time cancelled.

Ms Williams added: “They cannot continue carrying the burden of workforce shortages indefinitely. Emotional exhaustion is becoming normalised across the profession and that is dangerous for staff, patients and the future sustainability of services.

“The newly elected Welsh Government must urgently invest in growing and retaining the nursing workforce, ensure they have the training they require, alongside delivering safe staffing levels that are properly planned and enforced.

“Without action, patient safety risks will continue to grow.”

The RCN said the survey showed an urgent need for workforce investment, robust nurse staffing plans based on patient need, and action to improve recruitment and retention across Wales.

WEST Wales accountancy firm Ashmole & Co has chosen Alzheimer’s Society as its charity of the year.

The firm, which has thirteen offices across west, mid and south Wales, has raised more than £60,000 for good causes in recent years, including Wales Air Ambulance, Cardiac Risk in the Young, Tenovus Cancer Care and the DPJ Foundation.

Staff will now spend the next 12 months raising money for Alzheimer’s Society through collections, events, dress-down Fridays, cake bakes, running challenges and a sponsored walk later in the year.

The charity supports people affected by dementia, campaigns for better services and funds research into the condition.

Ashmole & Co said staff were keen to support a cause which affects thousands of families across Wales.

Laura Craddock, Ashmole & Co Partner in the Ammanford office, said: “Many of our staff are already aware of the great work done by Alzheimer’s Society and were keen to help raise funds for this worthwhile charity over the next 12 months.

“We hope our clients and friends will help us raise as much money as possible through collections and events for this extremely worthy cause.”

Alzheimer’s Society says around one million people in the UK are currently living with dementia, with that figure expected to rise to 1.4 million by 2040.

In Wales, around 51,000 people are living with dementia, with many still undiagnosed.

The charity says dementia is the UK’s biggest killer and costs the UK economy an estimated £42 billion a year, a figure expected to rise sharply in the coming years.

Dan Gee, Regional Fundraiser for Alzheimer’s Society, said: “We are very grateful to Ashmole & Co for choosing to help raise funds for Alzheimer’s Society over the next 12 months.

“There are currently 51,000 people living with dementia in Wales, half of those without a diagnosis. It is the UK’s biggest killer; it affects us all, and it devastates lives.

“Only together can we beat dementia – by giving vital support to those who need it, funding groundbreaking research, and campaigning to make dementia the priority it should be.

“It will take a society to beat dementia, and we thank you for your support.”

Ashmole & Co Chartered and Certified Accountants was established in 1897 and is one of the largest accountancy and auditing practices in Wales, with offices including Swansea, Carmarthen, Haverfordwest and Tenby.

Donations to support the firm’s fundraising can be made through its JustGiving page or directly at any Ashmole & Co office.

Photo caption: Ashmole & Co partners with Dan Gee, Alzheimer’s Society Regional Fundraiser. Pictured from left are Will Hughes and Ian Badham, Partners in the Haverfordwest and Tenby offices; Laura Craddock, Partner in the Ammanford office; Dan Gee from Alzheimer’s Society; Chris Daultrey, Partner in the Swansea office; Ceri Llwyd, Partner in the Llandeilo and Llandovery offices; and Sharon George, Partner in the Carmarthen office.

Donation will help charity fund energy-saving improvements and secure pool’s future

A COMMUNITY-RUN swimming pool in Pembrokeshire has received a £1,000 donation to support major sustainability improvements.

Swim Narberth, the charity which runs Narberth Swimming Pool, has been given the funding by Wales & West Utilities, the gas emergency and pipeline service.

The money will go towards the charity’s energy-efficiency project, which aims to cut energy use, reduce carbon emissions and make the facility more resilient for the future.

The pool was saved from permanent closure in 2014 following a community campaign. It is now used by more than 500 children and 1,000 adults every week.

Planned improvements include replacing the ageing roof, installing a modern high-efficiency air-handling system and upgrading the pool’s existing solar panels. The upgrades are expected to reduce energy use by more than 30 per cent.

Chris Walters, chairman of Swim Narberth, said: “As a small rural charity, support like this plays a vital role in helping us reach our £40,000 community match-funding target, which will unlock significant investment from the Welsh Government’s Community Facilities Programme.

“We are so grateful for Wales & West Utilities’ support and the funding will go towards our extensive improvements at the pool, including roof replacement works and major plant efficiency upgrades to help secure the pool’s long-term future.”

Narberth Swimming Pool provides learn-to-swim programmes, water safety education, inclusive and disability-friendly sessions, and health and wellbeing activities for people of all ages.

It is also the only accessible swimming facility within a 10-mile radius, serving families, schools and community groups across the surrounding rural area.

Sophie Shorney, engagement and social impact manager at Wales & West Utilities, said: “We are proud to support the communities in which we work and are pleased to lend a helping hand to an organisation that provides such an important service for the local community.

“We are pleased that this money will be put to good use and drive improvements that will help safeguard the future of the pool, while reducing running costs and environmental impact.”

Wales & West Utilities delivers energy to more than 7.5 million people across Wales and the south west of England through a network of more than 35,000 kilometres of underground pipes.