A new survey conducted by Royal College of Nursing (RCN) shows nurses in Milton Keynes are unsatisfied with staffing levels.
The results of the latest NHS staff survey suggest that staffing levels across Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes are affecting the work that nurses are able to do, according to the Royal College of Nursing (RCN).
The findings, which have been published today (30/3), reveal that in some NHS hospitals and health trusts across Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes only 17.6% nurses believe there are enough staff for them to do their job properly.
The annual survey was carried out between September and November last year.
When asked “There are enough staff at this organisation for me to do my job properly”
The following percentage of registered nurses and midwives said they “strongly agree or agree”:
- Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 35.2% (2020) vs 18.4% (2021)
Dr Sheila Marriott, Interim Regional Director of the RCN in the South East, said: “When nurses say there are too few staff for them to do their job properly, the Government need to sit up and listen.
“The number of nurses simply isn’t keeping pace with the demand. Nurses are exhausted and demoralised – imagine trying to look after patients when you don’t have enough colleagues to help you. Care can be left undone and patient safety may be compromised.
“Hospitals and other care providers are working hard to recruit and retain enough nurses to fill the gaps, but they’ve been frustrated by the Government ducking its responsibility to ensure a sufficient supply of staff for years. There isn’t a quick fix for this.
“There is no law on safe staffing – the Government could change this in the Health and Care Bill going through Parliament now, but they are persistently ignoring the glaring omission to have accountability for workforce planning and supply, as part of service and financial planning. The Government must commit to delivering and funding a workforce plan for the long term that guarantees there are enough nursing staff in the health and care system to provide patients with consistently safe and effective care.”
The survey results also suggest that fewer nursing staff in Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes are satisfied with their level of pay than they were a year ago.
The RCN says the low satisfaction rates show how undervalued many nursing staff were feeling even before the Government proposed a pay rise of only two to three per cent for NHS workers this summer – below the current inflation rate and, in effect, a pay cut.
Dr Marriott said: “Nursing staff are earning less in real terms than they were ten years ago, the cost of living is soaring and these results are yet another sign that more and more nurses are feeling short-changed by the Government for the skills, knowledge and responsibility they have.
“When nurses are reporting they can get less stressful jobs for similar pay, the sooner the Government appreciates that fair pay is a key factor in addressing the shortages in our profession, the better.”
