Action must be taken to rebuild the ‘morale and trust’ of the nursing workforce or speaking up in the workplace will become ‘more and more difficult’, a senior barrister has warned.
Sir Robert Francis KC, who chaired a landmark independent inquiry into poor care at the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust over a decade ago, has today called for a ‘greater focus’ on the development and training of nursing leaders.
Sir Robert was speaking at the launch of the Florence Nightingale Foundation’s policy and influence think tank earlier today when he warned the nursing workforce was in some cases being ‘ignored’ when raising concerns, and that ‘meaningful support’ was required.
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He stressed the importance of the nursing voice and nursing leaders in ‘promoting patient safety’ and helping to deliver ‘better care for all’.
He reflected on the Mid Staffs scandal and said the fact that concerns raised by nurses there were ignored was ‘part of the main reason things went wrong’.
While he acknowledged that steps had been taken since his inquiry, he said: ‘We still have deeply rooted issues within the national health service, particularly regarding morale in the workforce.’
‘In many places there is a daily grind in trying to make standards, and maintain them, where demand outstrips the resources of staff, facilities and funding,’ said Sir Robert.
He added: ‘Many nurses are exhausted. Rebuilding morale and trust will be one of our greatest challenges going forward.
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‘Unless we do that, speaking up will become more and more difficult.’
Sir Robert also highlighted that nurses ‘need protection from having to work excessive hours, should be given places to rest and supported to get to work during anti-social hours’.
Sir Robert was speaking a day after appearing at the Thirlwall Inquiry into infant deaths at the Countess of Chester Hospital where he responded to questions around raising concerns in healthcare settings.
The FNF’s new think tank, launched today, aims to ‘to help ‘shape the health and care policy agenda and create a future where nursing and midwifery perspectives are valued’.
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The foundation has said it also hoped its new think tank would help ensure that policies are informed by the ‘evidence, expertise and needs’ of nurses and midwives.
Earlier this year, Nursing in Practice explored the experiences of nurses speaking up in primary care, as part of an exclusive analysis.
