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Reid speech: Caring Tasks Of Nurses Must Not Be Neglected
May 11, 2004 12:45 PM
Government plans to give nurses 'wider duties' will only work if there are enough nurses to take the work on, the Liberal Democrats said today.
The comments are in response to a speech made by Health Secretary John Reid to the Royal College of Nursing Congress where he is expected to say he wants nurses to break free from their traditional roles and take on new duties.
Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Paul Burstow MP, said:
"It is right that the Government recognises the new roles that nurses can play in a modern NHS. But it is vital that there are enough nurses to take on all this new work. Otherwise the traditional caring tasks that nurses have always done could get neglected when staff are rushed off their feet.
"Ministers need to stop relying on the short term sticking plaster solution of overseas nurses and plan to ensure we have enough nurses in the long term.
"Nurses will only get the freedom to do their job when the Government stops tying nurses' hands with red tape and targets. Ministers are obsessed with meddling in the NHS. They need to give frontline nurses the freedom to get on with the job of treating patients".
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