Home >> News Article

NHS workers warn against double standards in cuts

With increasing pressure to cut back on expenditure, FRONTLINE health services must be protected in the face of “unprecedented” £1.9bn cuts, unions today warned.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Wales said, “the Assembly Government faces difficult decisions about the future of services.” Front line staff cannot shoulder the proposed cutbacks, while senior managers are rewarded with bonuses and pay increases.

The comments come as Health Minister Edwina Hart said “even more radical action was needed to address the financial challenge facing the NHS over the next five years.”

At a public services summit Health Minister Edwina Hart went on to further say “the challenges of rapidly changing demography, rising drug and technology costs, increasing citizen expectation, my own desire to deliver and now even tighter fiscal constraints mean that even more radical action is now required.”

Since 2005 the NHS has already made £850m in savings, but must find an additional £430m in savings, about 8% of its budget. With the autumn spending review under way, health boards and NHS trusts in Wales face financial challenges anywhere between £1.1bn and £1.9bn to 2015.

Kate Watkins, acting director of the Welsh NHS Confederation said, “The NHS effectively has to do more with less money, at the same time as making continual improvements in the quality of safety of care. Doing more of the same in a more efficient way will not plug a gap of over £1bn. Fundamental and transformational change is needed to deliver higher quality services at a lower cost.”

Tina Donnelly, director of RCN Wales, said, “When we talk about modernising healthcare services we expect to see frontline services and staff - that's not what you cut back.”

With impending cut backs Edwina Hart said, “Savings of the size required cannot be sustained without creating integrated services and strong partnerships. The things that I need to do next year and the years afterwards can only be done if NHS Wales and local government in Wales work together to share the challenges and solutions. We will only get through this next five years successfully if we reach out and engage with our staff at the frontline.”

As the NHS faces increasing budget constraints over the next few years it is even more important that the level of service & professionalism from frontline staff remains utmost.

With over 10 years of experience in providing key-nursing personnel of all grades, Nursing Personnel is ideally placed to meet the needs of our clients as their budgetary demands change. Nursing Personnel provide to both the NHS and private sectors professionals who care about delivering a high standard of health service.

In an era of uncertainty within the NHS, Nursing Personnel is one of the most professional and efficient recruitment agencies to help all grades of nursing staff find a wide range of nursing jobs within the NHS and private sectors.

Contact our registration team by telephone or register online to be part of the best nursing agency in the UK.

Posted: July 6, 2010, 3:45 pm.

Back to News Overview

More News