Almost two-thirds of nurses believe there are too few of them working in the NHS to keep patients safe and give them proper care, a survey has revealed.
Understaffing and the increasingly complex medical needs posed by an ageing population are creating a “deadly mix” for patients, the Royal College of Nursing warned on Monday.
More than one in five (22%) of nurses working in hospitals or community settings across the UK told the RCN that the number of nurses on duty in their last shift was “well below what was needed”, which left care “significantly compromised” and a “high level of risk of harm to patents and staff”.