Commenting on the Royal College of Nursing Wales’ report on ‘Safe Staffing Levels & Threats to Patient Care’, Shadow Minister for Health, Andrew RT Davies AM said:
“This report makes for very worrying reading.
“It is gravely concerning that 70% of nurses in Wales believe that there are not sufficient staff to provide a good standard of care, while 26% believe that patient care is compromised ‘on most shifts’.
“The current evidence demonstrates that NHS nursing levels in Wales are not yet at the optimum level for patient care.
“With proposed further cuts through the 2010/2011 NHS Wales Annual Operating Framework and Assembly Government cuts in education places for adult student nurses, the situation is unlikely to improve.
“Indeed the figures highlighted in the report represent a threatened cut of over 800 nurses in the NHS in Wales.
“Nurses in Wales continue to work tirelessly to provide the best care possible for patients in our hospitals, but they are being pushed to the limit.
“The Minister must ensure that nursing numbers do not fall below the current level if there is any hope of protecting patient safety and quality if care.”
