Nurses must be ‘recognised and rewarded’ to say in profession, says Streeting

Nurses will continue to leave the profession unless they feel ‘genuinely recognised and rewarded’ for the work they are doing, the health secretary has admitted.

Answering questions on the NHS 10-year plan before the Health and Social Care Committee yesterday, Wes Streeting said the government needs to give nurses ‘better job security’ and ‘better job satisfaction’ to improve workforce retention and incentivise nurses to stay in their roles.

The government launched its long-awaited plan earlier this month, announcing the expansion of nurse leadership opportunities and 2,000 additional nursing apprenticeships, alongside other significant changes for primary care and community nursing. 

During questioning from MPs, Mr Streeting suggested he was ‘anxious’ about retaining the nursing workforce.

‘I don’t think our nursing profession have received the level of respect and support to which they are entitled,’ he said.

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Mr Streeting added: ‘Unless they feel genuinely recognised and rewarded for the work they’re doing, we end up in the world of all worlds investing a lot of their training and then losing all of that knowledge and experience when they go elsewhere.

‘So, we’ve got to deal with some of these disincentives, because we’re losing a lot of people with really valuable life experience from going into a whole range of NHS professions.’

According to the 10-year plan, attrition among nursing students remains a significant concern, with 11% of nursing and midwifery students never completing their training.

An exclusive Nursing in Practice report, published earlier this year, found that more than a quarter (28%) of general practice nursing staff were considering leaving their jobs within the next 12 months.

Encouraging placements in primary care and the community 

Mr Streeting explained that general practice and district nursing had not had ‘the best rep’ with nursing students when choosing what nursing career to go into.

‘With district nursing, there’s been a sense for some time that that part of the profession has sort of been on the wane,’ he told the committee.

‘And actually, the pitch I want to make to the doctors and nurses of the future as well as other allied health professionals, is that community neighbourhood health is where it’s at. It’s where some of the most exciting medicine will be practiced.’

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Looking ahead, he hoped to see a ‘good deal of enthusiasm’ for working in general practice and district nursing roles.

The 10-year plan, published earlier this month, includes government commitments to increase the number of nurse consultants, particularly in neighbourhood settings. 

It states that: ‘Nurse consultants and consultant midwives will play a vital role in the Neighbourhood Health Service, providing advanced clinical care and system leadership, driving improvements in care quality, and advancing professional practice.’

Responding to the plan last week the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) general secretary and chief executive Professor Nicola Ranger said the government ‘needs nursing staff in the driving seat’ for the plan to work.

‘Nursing staff are crying out for change, and we stand ready to get behind this plan. Modernising services, bringing care closer to home and helping people to lead healthier lives couldn’t be more necessary,’ she said.

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Nurses will also be given ‘a range of opportunities to lead’ under the government’s plans for a Neighbourhood Health Service, including by coordinating ‘local strategy’ across multiple neighbourhoods.

The plan also suggests that nurses will ‘play a central role’ in a new ‘genomic population health service, including by providing genomic counselling and support’.

The chief nursing officer (CNO) for England, Duncan Burton, is currently working on a strategy to improve nurse progression, student attrition rates and clinical placement opportunities throughout the profession.