It’s time to start looking after nurses to boost careNursing Times
Crispin Dowler
Crispin Dowler is a Nursing Times and HSJ reporter. For Nursing Times, Crispin covers end of life and palliative care, cancer, critical care and perioperative care. Crispin's focus for HSJ is on finance and the private sector.
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Morecambe Bay to cut up to 230 posts in savings drive
26-Apr-2013
University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay Foundation Trust has begun a staff consultation on plans to cut its workforce by up to 230 whole time equivalents in a drive to make savings of £30m by the end of 2013-14. -
Regulator moves to put Mid Staffs in administration
28-Feb-2013
Healthcare sector regulator Monitor has begun the process of putting Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust into administration. -
Staffing crisis prompts transfer of troubled maternity unit
1-Feb-2013
Some maternity services at the troubled Furness General Hospital are to be temporarily moved to a neighbouring county in a bid to avert potentially dangerous levels of understaffing. -
Acute FTs push back workforce reduction plans
29-Oct-2012
Acute foundation trusts are planning to increase staff numbers by more than 2,500 this financial year, latest figures show. -
Nurse steps down as Bolton FT chief exec
29-Oct-2012
Lesley Doherty, chief executive of troubled Bolton Foundation Trust, has announced that she will take early retirement. -
Suffolk community posts will be cut
3-Oct-2012
The private takeover of community services in Suffolk will almost certainly see nursing posts reduced in future, a senior manager has admitted. -
Hinchingbrooke falls again in patient satisfaction rankings
26-Sep-2012
Privately-run Hinchingbrooke Health Care Trust has fallen again in the monthly league table of hospital patient satisfaction being piloted across the Midlands and East of England. -
Regulator steps in at Sherwood Forest Hospitals
25-Sep-2012
Foundation trust regulator Monitor today found Sherwood Forest Hospitals in significant breach of its terms of authorisation following a further deterioration in the FT’s finances. -
Fresh probe expected into Morecambe Bay scandal
21-Sep-2012
NHS North West is facing formal investigation over allegations that it failed to respond adequately to a series of infant and maternal deaths at University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay, Nursing Times understands. -
Bidders shortlisted for community nursing contract
9-Aug-2012
Just two bidders have been shortlisted in the competition to run the services currently provided by Central Surrey Health, the first social enterprise to come out of the NHS. -
'First' nurse led social enterprise faces service competition
23-Jul-2012
The first social enterprise formed by nurses and other staff leaving the NHS - hailed as as success story by government - faces the possibility of losing its contract from next year. -
Former nurse to take reins at troubled Morecambe Bay hospitals
23-Jul-2012
University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay last week recruited a former nurse as chief executive, as it revealed it was facing more than 30 compensation claims over its troubled Furness maternity service. -
New skills needed to address rise in steroid use
18-Jul-2012
Drug workers and nurses working in harm reduction will need a “whole new set of skills” to respond to the huge increase in anabolic steroid users attending needle exchanges, experts have reported. -
Morecambe Bay 'withheld' damning report from regulators
12-Jul-2012
University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay withheld information that could have led regulators to discover its major care failures sooner, a probe commissioned by foundation trust regulator Monitor has found. -
'Women could do most antenatal care themselves', claim management consultants
18-Jun-2012
The NHS could make huge savings on doctors and midwives wages’ by enlisting patients to input their own health records and conduct their own antenatal care, a partner from the consultancy firm McKinsey suggested last week. -
Regulator moves in over Gloucestershire Hospitals A&E waits
4-May-2012
The foundation trust regulator has stepped in at Gloucestershire Hospitals in a bid to redress the foundation trust’s “persistent failures” to tackle long waits for accident and emergency treatment. -
RCM to launch online initiative to track maternity cuts
25-Apr-2012
The Royal College of Midwives is to launch a new initiative to encourage its members and the public to warn it of cuts to local maternity services and staffing problems, Nursing Times has learnt. -
Recruitment drive in Blackpool to address nursing shortages
17-Apr-2012
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s has acknowledged it will need to recruit up to eight nurses and healthcare assistants a month to prevent a repeat of the staff shortages it experienced in 2011. -
Nurses face 'real time' league table for patient experience
21-Feb-2012
Nurses in a quarter of England’s hospitals will have patient experience on their wards measured in “real time” from April, using a customer service system borrowed from businesses like the Hilton hotel chain. -
Morecambe Bay nurses at 'breaking point'
14 February 2012
Nurses and midwives have been pushed to “breaking point” at a hospital trust found to have overstretched staff and exposed patients to “significant risks”, unions have told Nursing Times. -
Mothers and babies still at 'significant' risk at Morecambe Bay
7-Feb-2012
The safety of mothers and babies at the foundation’s Furness General Hospital remains at “significant risk”, according to a new independent review commissioned by foundation trust regulator Monitor. -
Private deal puts onus on nursing to save Hinchingbrooke
7 February 2012
Nurses at the first NHS general hospital to be run by the private sector risk shouldering the burden for deep financial problems that are out of their control, the Royal College of Nursing has warned. -
CQC issues trust with urgent warning to increase A&E staffing
3-Feb-2012
A hospital trust in the north west has been issued with an urgent warning to improve “crisis” staffing levels in accident and emergency by the Care Quality Commission. -
Don't dilute nursing skill mix to save money, report warns
17 January 2012
Cash-strapped hospitals should aim to cut overall nursing staff but increase the proportion of qualified or senior nurses, rather than employing cheaper unqualified staff, a report has suggested. -
Cancer survivors advised to request post-treatment care plans
17 January 2012
Guidance to help nurses become better patient advocates for cancer survivors has been developed by a group of nursing experts as part of an initiative to drive up standards of follow up care. -
Salford Royal Foundation Trust refutes nursing cuts claim
13-Jan-2012
One of the hospitals chosen by the prime minister for the launch of his new nursing care drive has refuted suggestions it is cutting hundreds of nursing posts. -
Hospital visited by PM plans to cut 400 posts over three years, claims Blears
11-Jan-2012
One of the hospital trusts visited last week by prime minister David Cameron to launch his new nursing forum has cut hundreds of nurse posts and plans to cut more, according to a Labour MP. -
NMC reminds nurses that rules have not changed on assisted dying
6-Jan-2012
A year-long review has concluded that rules on assisted dying in England and Wales should be changed to allow nurses to help some patients to die. -
Pay awards to be held at 1% for two years and AfC at risk
29-Nov-2011
NHS employees can expect a prolonged wage squeeze and a possible end to national NHS terms and conditions, the government has signalled. -
Private sector could control £2bn of community services within five years
28-Nov-2011
Community nurses will increasingly find themselves working for private sector companies outside of national pay contracts during the next five years, market analysts have predicted. -
RCN demands transparency as firm takes over hospital
10-Nov-2011
The Royal College of Nursing today called for full “openness and transparency” over the deal signed by the government last night which hands a private company management control of an NHS trust. -
Nurses raise concerns about commissioners' private company links
20-Oct-2011
Nurses have raised concerns about a second group of GP commissioners in the north of England with links to a private company seeking to provide NHS services. -
Nurses must not 'ignore' patients' requests for assisted suicide, RCN advises
20-Oct-2011
Nurses must resist the temptation to “ignore” requests to assist their patients to die, the Royal College of Nursing has advised. -
NMC chastises supervisors at Morecambe Bay maternity unit
17-Oct-2011
Supervisors at the troubled maternity unit at University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay Foundation Trust focused on protecting midwives, rather than mothers and babies, according to a Nursing and Midwifery Council report. -
Lansley denies pay rebanding taking place, despite evidence
14-Oct-2011
Health secretary Andrew Lansley has claimed he has no knowledge of attempts by trusts to downgrade nurses’ pay in order to save money, despite evidence gathered by unions and Nursing Times that the practice is widespread. -
Lansley brings forward deadline for new palliative care funding regime
3-Oct-2011
Health secretary Andrew Lansley has said he wants a new system of per-patient funding for end of life care in place by 2015, a year earlier than was recommended in the Palliative Care Funding Review. -
FTs flirt with diluting Agenda for Change
20-Sep-2011
Foundation trusts have publicly signalled their intention to move away from nationally negotiated staff terms and conditions, which unions warn could increase “industrial disharmony”. -
Milton insists nursing influence will be 'greater than before' under reforms
13 September 2011
Health minister Anne Milton has dismissed claims the chief nursing officer role is to be downgraded, insisting nursing influence in government will be “far greater” in future. -
Exclusive: NHS nurses suffer more than 8,800 serious industrial injuries in three years
30 August 2011
More than 8,800 serious industrial injuries to nurses, midwives, and healthcare assistants have been reported at NHS organisations over the past three years, figures released exclusively to Nursing Times show. -
Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh plans 486 post reduction
17-Aug-2011
Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Foundation Trust plans to reduce posts by 486 whole time equivalents by 2013-14. -
Nursing workforce could shrink by 100,000 over next decade
18-Jul-2011
The NHS nursing workforce could crash by up to 100,000 over the next decade due to a combination of spiralling cuts to posts, falling student places and a retirement bubble, academics have warned. -
Ballot threat over 'pay more for less' pension
21 June 2011
A quarter of a million nurses will be balloted over industrial action unless the government gives “significant” ground in negotiations on the future of public sector pensions, a union has warned. -
End-of-life care manifesto won't succeed without community nurses
6-Jun-2011
The government must invest “energy and real money” into the district nursing workforce, one of the authors of a new initiative to improve palliative care in primary care settings has warned. -
Trust to survey nurses on changes to Agenda for Change
27-May-2011
A Surrey foundation trust is to poll its nurses and other staff on whether they would accept watering down their nationally agreed terms and conditions in exchange for fewer job cuts. -
Palliative care review will call for dedicated nurse for every patient
24 May 2011
Every palliative care patient should be assigned a nurse, or alternative care worker, to “help them navigate their way to a dignified death”, a major review looks set to recommend. -
Reform slowdown could stop erosion of nurse influence
17 May 2011
Further political pressure on government plans for a comprehensive transfer of NHS decision making powers to GP led consortia could help salvage the formal role of nurses in commissioning. -
Trusts raise the axe as NHS austerity drive kicks in
10 May 2011
Nurses at struggling hospitals trusts are set to face major pressures this year, as managers reveal plans to slash staff numbers and review workforce “skill mix”, an investigation by Nursing Times has revealed. -
NW nurses at heart of deal to enforce quality standards in continuing healthcare
6-May-2011
Nurses are at the heart of drawing up a huge contract for continuing healthcare across the North West, which aims to establish quality standards and a single list of approved care homes. -
Trust to launch whistleblowing hotline to tackle 'bullying culture'
26-Apr-2011
Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Foundation Trust will this month launch a whistleblowers hotline, after a review found that a “culture of bullying” left some staff scared to raise safety concerns. -
RCN congress threatens ballot for industrial action if employers attack national pay deal
19-Apr-2011
Did Andrew Lansley do enough at congress to reassure nurses about his reforms? -
Nurses accuse Andrew Lansley of lacking the 'guts' to face RCN congress
12-Apr-2011
Nurses have accused Andrew Lansley of not having “the guts” to face the Royal College of Nursing annual congress, while also tabling a vote of no confidence in his management of the NHS reforms. -
Congress to vote on call for industrial action ballot over new threat to increments
12-Apr-2011
The Royal College of Nursing congress will vote on Thursday on an emergency motion to ballot members for industrial action in the event of any imposition of an incremental pay freeze. -
Milton: Local pay increment freezes still on the table
12-Apr-2011
Trusts will be encouraged to decide locally with nursing staff whether to freeze increments in return for increased job security, health minister Anne Milton has indicated. -
RCN president calls on nurses to expose colleagues that give profession ‘bad name’
12-Apr-2011
The Royal College of Nursing’s president has called for good nurses to “stand up and expose” those colleagues who give their profession a bad name. -
Trusts must publish risk assessments for service redesigns
12-Apr-2011
Royal College of Nursing members at congress have backed a call for NHS service providers to be made to publish risk assessments of planned “service redesigns” ahead of any changes. -
Carter: working to rule 'could really hurt trusts' trying to make cuts
12-Apr-2011
Nurses could effectively employ work to rule style tactics in their fight against cuts in order to bypass lengthy legal hoops for industrial action, the Royal College of Nursing’s leader has suggested. -
Carter warns reforms could be 'biggest disaster in history' of NHS
11-Apr-2011
The Royal College of Nursing’s chief executive has today insisted industrial action must remain an option for nurses and warned that the health reforms could become the “biggest disaster in the history of our public services”. -
NPSA abolition mires incident reporting deal with private sector
30-Mar-2011
A long-awaited deal to get private clinics and hospitals to feed their safety data into the national incident database has been stalled since July by government plans to abolish quangos, Nursing Times has learnt. -
Fears over lack of nurse oversight in rush for foundation trust status
23-Mar-2011
Concerns have been raised about a lack of nursing expertise at the body responsible for approving applications by NHS trusts to attain foundation status. -
Recognition needed that nursing elderly is 'specialism'
23-Feb-2011
The healthcare system must recognise the need for specialist skills to nurse an aging population if it is to avoid the “shocking” care failures revealed in this week’s ombudsman’s report, senior nurses have warned. -
Compliance with safety alerts improves but still falling short
21-Feb-2011
There has been a 50% drop in trusts failing to comply with patient safety alerts over the last six months, analysis by Nursing Times has revealed. -
NHS failing older people, ombudsman reports
15-Feb-2011
NHS treatment of older people is “failing to meet even the most basic standards of care” in some areas, a report published today by the health service ombudsman has found. -
CNSs have major impact on cancer patient experiences
15-Feb-2011
One of the largest-ever surveys of cancer patients has found that access to a clinical nurse specialist has a strikingly positive impact on patients’ experience of their care. -
No plan for midwife shortage
25 January 2011
The NHS does not have a plan for how or when it will solve the 4,500 midwife shortage, Sir David Nicholson told MPs this week.
