The RCN are calling for a long-term plan to try and support those who work in the industry of private nursing or even homecare. The Public Accounts Committee have released a statement saying that the department do not currently understand the nursing needs that the NHS has. Even before the pandemic, thousands of nurses left the profession every single year and that evidence has shown that there are worrying signs of stress and even burnout too. This is happening amongst nursing staff since the outbreak. Dame Donna Kinnair, who happens to be the RCN Chief Executive has stated that they share the view that the long-term plan for the nursing workforce in the UK and that they also support the recommendations that have been made for national plans as well. They want to try and increase the recruitment and the retention as much as possible.

Students, at the end of the day, shouldn’t have to pay fees. Their maintenance money should genuinely reflect the expense that they are having to face through studying. The government need to try and oversupply for years of not investing if they want to have any hopes of not meeting the demand. Failure to take any kind of action on the recommendation is going to drive more and more people away from a nursing career and this is going to leave even more patients without the care that they need.

Studies have shown that 36% of respondents are now thinking about leaving the profession this year and half of them are citing pay as being a prime factor. This is awful to say the least, but it just goes to show that the industry is needing more support, and that people need to make sure that they are banding together.