By Vivienne Russell | 19 April 2013
Unison is calling on the government to implement minimum staff-to-patient ratios in the NHS, saying the move could transform the experience of being in hospital.
A minimum staff ratio was one of the recommendations made by Robert Francis's public inquiry into care standards at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust. However, the Department of Health's interim response to the Francis report, published last month, said the ratio could constrain flexibility and such decisions were best left to local organisations.
The union backed up its call with a survey showing that almost half of health care staff (45%) were looking after eight or more patients per shift.
Almost 20% said the care failings in their hospitals were on a par with what was uncovered at Mid Staffordshire. One of the nurses polled said: ‘My ward will end up killing someone. That’s how bad it is and how unsafe.’
Almost two-thirds of the 1,500 nurses, midwives and health care assistants polled said they did not have enough time with patients. Almost 60% said they did not have enough time to deliver safe, compassionate and dignified care. The vast majority (85%) backed the introduction of minimum staff-patient ratios.
Christina McAnea, head of health at Unison, said the survey exposed a ‘health service under strain’.
She added: ‘The hidden voice in the survey must surely be that of the patient, who is not getting the level of care they are entitled to expect.
‘The government cannot escape its responsibilities to the NHS by pointing the finger at staff or managers. Trusts are not being given the finance they need to deliver a growing and complex health service that demands highly expensive equipment, high-tech treatment and costly drugs.
‘Government cuts are making matters worse by reducing staff, including nurses, at a time when patient demand is growing. Introducing minimum nurse to patient ratios would provide a safety net of care, restore public confidence and show nursing staff they are respected and valued.’
But responding to Unison’s call, Sue Covill, director of employment services at NHS Employers, said ‘one size fits all’ approaches to staffing were not appropriate given hospitals’ different demands.
She said: ‘We believe arbitrary national minimum staffing ratios would limit how hospitals could plan resources in a way that's best for their patients.
‘Getting care right all the time is what we strive for, and this means matching the skills of staff to the needs of patients, within a culture of compassion and diligence. The best decisions can only be made by looking at the health care team as a whole, which means addressing the balance between nurses, doctors, support staff and many others.’
Covill added that NHS Employers supported the government’s view, expressed in its response to the Francis report, that local NHS organisations were best placed to take responsibility for minimum staffing levels.
