Nursing and midwifery crisis
Inadequate recruitment and retention of nursing and midwifery staff due to lack of comprehensive bursary schemes.
29 items
1 source
4 inquiries
Source spread
Where this theme appears
Nursing and midwifery crisis has been flagged across 1 independent accountability source:
29 inquiry recs
This theme has been identified in one data source. As more data is added, cross-references may emerge.
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Source-grouped records are useful for tracing where a concern came from. Large sections show the 50 strongest matches for that source; counts still show the full theme total.
Inquiry Recommendations (29)
F192 — Strong nursing voice
Recommendation: The Department of Health and Nursing and Midwifery Council should introduce the concept of a Responsible Officer for nursing, appointed by and accountable to, the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
Speaker not recorded. Source: Department of Health, Hard Truths: the Journey to Putting Patients First, volume 2 (Cm 8777-II), November 2013
Gov response: Accepted in principle. The aim of the recommendation, which is to have a role that is accountable for providing assurance to the Nursing and Midwifery Council that nurses are meeting professional standards and are keeping …
Accepted in part
R31 — Staffing and skills mix review
Recommendation: Health Boards should ensure that the staffing and skills mix is appropriate for each ward, and that it is reviewed in response to increases in the level of activity/patient acuity and dependency in the ward. Where the clinical profile of …
Words of: Scottish Government, The Scottish Government's Response to the Vale of Leven Hospital Inquiry Report, section 1.3, 18 June 2015
Gov response: The Scottish Government accepts its responsibility for the failings identified in the report and we apologise unreservedly for the suffering and loss caused. We accept in full all of the report's recommendations.
Accepted
No update 2+ yrs
F213 — Training standards for healthcare support workers
Recommendation: Until such time as the Nursing and Midwifery Council is charged with the recommended regulatory responsibilities, the Department of Health should institute a nationwide system to protect patients and care receivers from harm. This system should be supported by fair …
Speaker not recorded. Source: Department of Health, Hard Truths: the Journey to Putting Patients First, volume 2 (Cm 8777-II), November 2013
Gov response: Not accepted, however we intend to achieve the intention behind this by ensuring that organisations have the right staff with the right skills to deliver care in a safe way. We do not believe that …
Not accepted
F212 — Training standards for healthcare support workers
Recommendation: The code of conduct, education and training standards and requirements for registration for healthcare support workers should be prepared and maintained by the Nursing and Midwifery Council after due consultation with all relevant stakeholders, including the Department of Health, other …
Speaker not recorded. Source: Department of Health, Hard Truths: the Journey to Putting Patients First, volume 2 (Cm 8777-II), November 2013
Gov response: Not accepted, however we intend to achieve the intention behind this by ensuring that organisations have the right staff with the right skills to deliver care in a safe way. This recommendation is a step …
Not accepted
F211 — Training standards for healthcare support workers
Recommendation: There should be a common set of national standards for the education and training of healthcare support workers.
Speaker not recorded. Source: Department of Health, Hard Truths: the Journey to Putting Patients First, volume 2 (Cm 8777-II), November 2013
Gov response: Accepted. The National Minimum Training Standards for healthcare support workers were published in March 2013. The Cavendish Review has also made a number of recommendations to improve the national standards on education and training, including …
Accepted
In progress
F210 — Code of conduct for healthcare support workers
Recommendation: There should be a national code of conduct for healthcare support workers.
Speaker not recorded. Source: Department of Health, Hard Truths: the Journey to Putting Patients First, volume 2 (Cm 8777-II), November 2013
Gov response: Accepted. Skills for Health and Skills for Care published a national code of conduct for healthcare support workers and adult social care workers in March 2013. The Cavendish Review recommends that Skills for Health and …
Accepted
F209 — Registration of healthcare support workers
Recommendation: A registration system should be created under which no unregistered person should be permitted to provide for reward direct physical care to patients currently under the care and treatment of a registered nurse or a registered doctor (or who are …
Speaker not recorded. Source: Department of Health, Hard Truths: the Journey to Putting Patients First, volume 2 (Cm 8777-II), November 2013
Gov response: Not accepted, however we intend to achieve the intention behind this by ensuring that organisations have the right staff with the right skills to deliver care in a safe way. The Government understands that the …
Not accepted
F208 — Strengthening identification of healthcare support workers and nurses
Recommendation: Commissioning arrangements should require provider organisations to ensure by means of identity labels and uniforms that a healthcare support worker is easily distinguishable from that of a registered nurse.
Speaker not recorded. Source: Department of Health, Hard Truths: the Journey to Putting Patients First, volume 2 (Cm 8777-II), November 2013
Gov response: Accepted in principle. We agree that patients should be clear on the role of people caring for them, for example through identity labels, clear job titles and uniforms. Many organisations already do this. However, the …
Accepted in part
In progress
F207 — Strengthening identification of healthcare support workers and nurses
Recommendation: There should be a uniform description of healthcare support workers, with the relationship with currently registered nurses made clear by the title.
Speaker not recorded. Source: Department of Health, Hard Truths: the Journey to Putting Patients First, volume 2 (Cm 8777-II), November 2013
Gov response: Accepted in principle. This is a complex issue as healthcare support workers carry out a number of different tasks in varied roles, so a uniform description can be difficult. The Cavendish Review80 recommends that once …
Accepted in part
In progress
F206 — Strengthening the nursing professional voice
Recommendation: The effectiveness of the newly positioned office of Chief Nursing Officer should be kept under review to ensure the maintenance of a recognised leading representative of the nursing profession as a whole, able and empowered to give independent professional advice …
Speaker not recorded. Source: Department of Health, Hard Truths: the Journey to Putting Patients First, volume 2 (Cm 8777-II), November 2013
Gov response: Accepted. The Chief Nursing Officer for England provides professional leadership for all nurses, midwives and care staff across the healthcare system. The Chief Nursing Officer is also the principal advisor to the Government on all …
Accepted
In progress
F205 — Strengthening the nursing professional voice
Recommendation: Commissioning arrangements should require the boards of provider organisations to seek and record the advice of its nursing director on the impact on the quality of care and patient safety of any proposed major change to nurse staffing arrangements or …
Speaker not recorded. Source: Department of Health, Hard Truths: the Journey to Putting Patients First, volume 2 (Cm 8777-II), November 2013
Gov response: Accepted in principle. Compassion in Practice, the vision and strategy for nursing in England, asks Boards to sign off and publish staffing levels. NHS England has asked that decisions on quality improvement plans are signed …
Accepted in part
In progress
F190 — National standards
Recommendation: There should be national training standards for qualification as a registered nurse to ensure that newly qualified nurses are competent to deliver a consistent standard of the fundamental aspects of compassionate care.
Speaker not recorded. Source: Department of Health, Hard Truths: the Journey to Putting Patients First, volume 2 (Cm 8777-II), November 2013
Gov response: Accepted in part. The Nursing and Midwifery Council already sets national standards for undergraduate degrees, but Health Education England and NHS England, in collaboration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council and the universities, will work …
Accepted in part
F187 — Practical hands-on training and experience
Recommendation: There should be a national entry-level requirement that student nurses spend a minimum period of time, at least three months, working on the direct care of patients under the supervision of a registered nurse. Such experience should include direct care …
Speaker not recorded. Source: Department of Health, Hard Truths: the Journey to Putting Patients First, volume 2 (Cm 8777-II), November 2013
Gov response: Accepted. In its initial response to The Inquiry, Patients First and Foremost, the Government committed to a pilot programme, whereby every student who seeks NHS funding for nursing degrees will serve up to a year …
Accepted
F186 — Practical hands-on training and experience
Recommendation: Nursing training should be reviewed so that sufficient practical elements are incorporated to ensure that a consistent standard is achieved by all trainees throughout the country. This requires national standards.
Speaker not recorded. Source: Department of Health, Hard Truths: the Journey to Putting Patients First, volume 2 (Cm 8777-II), November 2013
Gov response: Accepted. The Nursing and Midwifery Council has already taken steps to address this. The Nursing and Midwifery Council published new standards for all pre-registration nursing programmes in 2010 which must be followed at all the …
Accepted
COVID-M3.5 — Scale Up Urgent and Emergency Care
Recommendation: The UK government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive, in conjunction with organisations responsible for delivering services, should plan for surge capacity in urgent and emergency care during a pandemic. Plans must ensure that there is sufficient workforce …
Words of: UK government (Department of Health and Social Care), UK government response to the Covid-19 Inquiry Module 3 report (CP 1664), 14 September 2026
Gov response: The government agrees with the Inquiry that it is important to continue to prepare to scale up urgent and emergency care capacity.
Accepted in part
F204 — Strengthening the nursing professional voice
Recommendation: All healthcare providers and commissioning organisations should be required to have at least one executive director who is a registered nurse, and should be encouraged to consider recruiting nurses as non-executive directors.
Speaker not recorded. Source: Department of Health, Hard Truths: the Journey to Putting Patients First, volume 2 (Cm 8777-II), November 2013
Gov response: Accepted in part. All provider organisations have at least one executive director who is a registered nurse. NHS England has the Chief Nursing Officer on its executive board, and director level (although not executive level) …
Accepted in part
In progress
F203 — Strengthening the nursing professional voice
Recommendation: A forum for all directors of nursing from both NHS and independent sector organisations should be formed to provide a means of coordinating the leadership of the nursing profession.
Speaker not recorded. Source: Department of Health, Hard Truths: the Journey to Putting Patients First, volume 2 (Cm 8777-II), November 2013
Gov response: Accepted. The Chief Nursing Officer has established the Federation of Nurse Leaders, a national forum that has been established to raise the awareness and profile of the nursing voice at a national level. Its membership …
Accepted
F202 — Strengthening the nursing professional voice
Recommendation: Recognition of the importance of nursing representation at provider level should be given by ensuring that adequate time is allowed for staff to undertake this role, and employers and unions must regularly review the adequacy of the arrangements in this …
Speaker not recorded. Source: Department of Health, Hard Truths: the Journey to Putting Patients First, volume 2 (Cm 8777-II), November 2013
Gov response: Accepted. Implementation is a matter for local employers and unions. The Royal College of Nursing, UNISON and NHS Employers have endorsed this recommendation and will work with providers and commissioners to try to ensure that …
Accepted
In progress
F201 — Strengthening the nursing professional voice
Recommendation: The Royal College of Nursing should consider whether it should formally divide its "Royal College" functions and its employee representative/trade union functions between two bodies rather than behind internal "Chinese walls".
Speaker not recorded. Source: Department of Health, Hard Truths: the Journey to Putting Patients First, volume 2 (Cm 8777-II), November 2013
Gov response: Accepted The Royal College of Nursing has given careful consideration to whether it should split its trade union and professional functions and has decided that it should not. The Royal College of Nursing believes it …
Accepted
In progress
F200 — Key nurses
Recommendation: Consideration should be given to the creation of a status of Registered Older Person's Nurse.
Speaker not recorded. Source: Department of Health, Hard Truths: the Journey to Putting Patients First, volume 2 (Cm 8777-II), November 2013
Gov response: Accepted in part. The Department and its system partners have considered this recommendation and feel there are better ways of improving nursing care for older people. Caring for older people is core to the job …
Accepted in part
In progress
F199 — Key nurses
Recommendation: Each patient should be allocated for each shift a named key nurse responsible for coordinating the provision of the care needs for each allocated patient. The named key nurse on duty should, whenever possible, be present at every interaction between …
Speaker not recorded. Source: Department of Health, Hard Truths: the Journey to Putting Patients First, volume 2 (Cm 8777-II), November 2013
Gov response: Accepted. The Secretary of State for Health announced his support for patients having a named nurse in July 2013 and we are working with NHS England to support the delivery of this aim. As The …
Accepted
In progress
F197 — Nurse leadership
Recommendation: Training and continuing professional development for nurses should include leadership training at every level from student to director. A resource for nurse leadership training should be made available for all NHS healthcare provider organisations that should be required under commissioning …
Speaker not recorded. Source: Department of Health, Hard Truths: the Journey to Putting Patients First, volume 2 (Cm 8777-II), November 2013
Gov response: Accepted in part. Healthcare organisations have a responsibility to ensure that their staff and teams are appropriately trained and continuously developed: having properly trained staff is one of the requirements they have to meet to …
Accepted in part
F196 — Nurse leadership
Recommendation: The Knowledge and Skills Framework should be reviewed with a view to giving explicit recognition to nurses' demonstrations of commitment to patient care and, in particular, to the priority to be accorded to dignity and respect, and their acquisition of …
Speaker not recorded. Source: Department of Health, Hard Truths: the Journey to Putting Patients First, volume 2 (Cm 8777-II), November 2013
Gov response: Accepted. Employers have the freedom to use the Knowledge and Skills Framework to develop their own local arrangements to ensure that dignity, respect and leadership is fully reflected in staff training and development and that …
Accepted
F195 — Nurse leadership
Recommendation: Ward nurse managers should operate in a supervisory capacity, and not be office-bound or expected to double up, except in emergencies as part of the nursing provision on the ward. They should know about the care plans relating to every …
Speaker not recorded. Source: Department of Health, Hard Truths: the Journey to Putting Patients First, volume 2 (Cm 8777-II), November 2013
Gov response: Accepted in principle. There needs to be local flexibility in delivering nursing care, so the Government are not mandating that ward nurse managers must operate solely in a supervisory capacity. However, in the initial Government …
Accepted in part
F194 — Standards for appraisal and support
Recommendation: As part of a mandatory annual performance appraisal, each Nurse, regardless of workplace setting, should be required to demonstrate in their annual learning portfolio an up-to-date knowledge of nursing practice and its implementation. Alongside developmental requirements, this should contain documented …
Speaker not recorded. Source: Department of Health, Hard Truths: the Journey to Putting Patients First, volume 2 (Cm 8777-II), November 2013
Gov response: Accepted in principle. We consider that the aim of the recommendation, which is to have a role that is accountable for providing assurance to the Nursing and Midwifery Council that nurses can show they are …
Accepted in part
In progress
F193 — Standards for appraisal and support
Recommendation: Without introducing a revalidation scheme immediately, the Nursing and Midwifery Council should introduce common minimum standards for appraisal and support with which responsible officers would be obliged to comply. They could be required to report to the Nursing and Midwifery …
Speaker not recorded. Source: Department of Health, Hard Truths: the Journey to Putting Patients First, volume 2 (Cm 8777-II), November 2013
Gov response: Accepted in principle. In advance of the introduction of revalidation by the Nursing and Midwifery Council, NHS Employers will: • support NHS organisations in ensuring they have a clear link between the values in the …
Accepted in part
F189 — Consistent training
Recommendation: The Nursing and Midwifery Council and other professional and academic bodies should work towards a common qualification assessment/examination.
Speaker not recorded. Source: Department of Health, Hard Truths: the Journey to Putting Patients First, volume 2 (Cm 8777-II), November 2013
Gov response: Accepted in principle. The Nursing and Midwifery Council is responsible for setting the UK-wide standards for all pre-registration nursing and midwifery education. These standards underpin all pre- registration nursing and midwifery education so that education …
Accepted in part
F188 — Aptitude test for compassion and caring
Recommendation: The Nursing and Midwifery Council, working with universities, should consider the introduction of an aptitude test to be undertaken by aspirant registered nurses at entry into the profession, exploring, in particular, candidates' attitudes towards caring, compassion and other necessary professional …
Speaker not recorded. Source: Department of Health, Hard Truths: the Journey to Putting Patients First, volume 2 (Cm 8777-II), November 2013
Gov response: Accepted in principle. The Government’s Mandate to Health Education England contained a requirement to ensure that selection into all new NHS funded training posts incorporates testing of values. In addition, NHS England is working with …
Accepted in part
BRIS-185 — Review and apply 1991 paediatric nurse staffing standards as minimum
Recommendation: The 1991 standards for the numbers of paediatrically qualified nurses required at any given time should serve as the minimum standard and should apply where children are treated (save in emergencies). The standards should be reviewed as a matter of …
Unknown
In progress