NHS Could Save Half A Billion - RCN Responds To Boorman, UK

Main Category: Nursing / Midwifery
Article Date: 20 Aug 2009 - 3:00 PDT

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Responding to today's publication of the interim findings of the Boorman review, Dr Peter Carter, Chief Executive of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) called for better preventative measures to help the wellbeing of NHS staff. Highlighting the £555 million that could be saved he also called for a step change in the way the NHS manages health and wellbeing. He said:

Dr Peter Carter, Chief Executive of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), said:

"Today's review shows that we need a step change in the way the NHS manages staff health and wellbeing. With over 10 million working days are lost due to sickness each year, and staff working when they are not well enough to do so, then the quality of patient care is bound to suffer. The NHS has a legal and moral duty to ensure that staff are protected from the work related causes of ill health and are given opportunities to improve their own health.

"NHS staff work in a culture of 'presenteeism' where they feel obliged to come to work when they are unwell. The review also shows that too many staff suffer from back problems and preventable stress. The RCN has been saying for some time that staff health and wellbeing must be central to the way NHS organisations operate and we are calling for today's recommendations to be acted upon quickly - nurses and other healthcare workers must be given an assurance that the final report will have the teeth to make a difference.

"The RCN welcomes this important report, because we know that investing in proactive health and wellbeing services, in particular occupational health nurses, will save the NHS money. This review identifies massive savings in terms of working days and money, which could be channelled into patient care. To be a world class organisation, the NHS needs to be a world leader in promoting healthy workplaces."

Notes

The RCN has provided comprehensive evidence to the review from both a staff perspective and the expert opinion of occupational health nurses. The evidence highlighted the need to invest in prevention and provide decent working environments, address some of the health inequalities which exist in the workplace and build the capacity and competency of occupational health services. The RCN also stressed the important link between staff health and the quality of patient care.

The review found that many staff are being made unwell by their working environments and often work when they are unwell. Improving staff well-being by a third would result in an increase of 3.4 million working days a year, £555 million in direct cost saving, and most importantly improvements in patient care.

Source
Royal College of Nursing

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