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Multiple hospitals have declared critical incidents amid warnings the NHS is “in a state of crisis” in the face of staff shortages caused by coronavirus and rising pressures.
In a letter to Health Secretary Sajid Javid, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said the NHS can “ill afford” the current level of absences as it called for a “more cautious approach” to COVID restrictions in England “without further delay”.
The union, which has more than 465,000 members, also questioned the “confusing and concerning” differences in coronavirus measures in the different UK nations.
It said there were “significant concerns” about staffing plans for the new “Nightingale surge hubs”, which will look after people who are not well enough to go home but need minimal supervision during their COVID recovery.
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“It is confusing and concerning that the different UK governments have set out their own different rules and regulations in relation to the management of the pandemic,” the RCN said.
“Nursing professionals are questioning the level and nature of the variation between governments.”
The RCN urged ministers to introduce “a more cautious approach for England without further delay”, saying this was supported by “high levels of staff absence due to COVID-19”.
NHS staff absences in England due to coronavirus doubled in the two weeks to Boxing Day, the union said.
“The health and care system in England, already short tens of thousands of professionals, can ill afford the current losses,” it added.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned that the Omicron variant “continues to surge through the country” and pressure on the NHS would last for weeks.
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Source : skynews
