The Royal College Of Nursing Congress 2024 Is Underway - Politicians Beware As The Nurses Highlight The Problems

4th June 2024

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) annual congress is underway running from 2nd to 6 June 2024. Already for politicians they have set out difficult questions on the health service and the Tory government in charge for 13 years are struggling to answer.

To keep it light hearted a look at the Roy Lilly podcast Goose bump good

sets the scene -

If you've never experienced it, you'll never know and...

... you'll never know if you've never experienced it.

You don't hear it, you feel it.

Mellifluous, euphonious.

Goose-bump good...

... the sound of a Welsh, male-voice choir. Powerful, indestructible. All enveloping.

Along with a lady and a harp, how else would you open a conference in Wales?

Particularly if it's the first time you had such a conference in Wales and there are nearly 4,000 people taking part.

The RCN Congress 2024 has arrived in Newport, Celtic Manor, the home of the Ryder Cup.

Wow, they do do things well. There's even a crèche for delegate's youngsters... it's a pity more hospitals don’t have them.

If it’s possible to ‘judge-the-mood’ of a conference of that many people; as diverse as it gets, from the four corners of the nation, at the opening of proceedings, I think it was ‘nonplussed’.

Battered by Covid and drained by industrial action...

... there’s unfinished business following the strikes.

Uncertain of what a future government might make of that... and without their Boudicca who led them to the picket lines but has since gone to fight another battle, as a Sinn Fein candidate in the upcoming elections in Northern Ireland.

The judgement changed as proceedings developed. As the congress gained momentum and the delegates found their feet. It was Defiant.

A manifesto of twelve priorities. Spelled out; ‘we want’. There are real problems 25,000 people left the nursing register last year and 2,470 fewer people applied for a nursing degree course.

Those numbers add up... to trouble.

Professor Nichola Ranger, in the role of interim chief executive and general secretary delivered the keynote speech that brought delegates to their feet.

A warm speech, delivered in the language of nurses. Challenges and a to-do list, spelled out quietly with the power and authority that only comes from someone who has ‘been there, seen it’, ‘done it’. No need to shout.

Delivered in a way that says; I am confident and that means you can have confidence in me.

Earlier in the day the RCN released the findings of a devastating survey of 1,100 nurses.

One-in-three had witnessed patients being cared for in inappropriate places during their most recent shift. This figure on the rise over the past two years.

This kind of survey cannot be ignored. It’s not the construct of a Mickey-Mouse polling organisation with algorithms and proxies. This is raw data from real people.

The RCN declared ‘corridor-care’ a national emergency and captured the early morning headlines. There was a buzz about the place.

It seemed to me the nurses had done more than grabbed a headline. Without knowing it they had thrown a whizz-bang into a lack lustre election.

It’s a fair question to ask; if the DH+ had stumped up the cash for 5,000 more beds (and they have) why are people being cared for in corridors and utility rooms?

The answer is Flo... not Flo’ as in Florence Nightingale... Flo’ as in the sense of ‘flow’ through the hospital.

Trusts are sophisticated production lines; sick-n-poorly people go in one end and happy-n-fixed-up people come out the other. If Flo’ can’t flow, the system gets silted-up and people end up, parked in the broom cupboard.

Generally, the hold-up is medically-fit people can’t get home safely, because they’re frail and need the help of a care package.

Social care can’t manage the assessments for the packages and domiciliary care providers aren’t paid enough to recruit the staff and can’t do the business.

The awkward question the RCN is asking of the political parties is the issue the Tories are ducking. Labour are running away from and the Lib-Dems are too busy throwing their leader into river.

The RCN conference can be watched live HERE

In the north of Scotland ask candidates health questions especially in Caithness. Why are our mothers being failed by NHS Highland? Still most births since changes a few years ago are in Inverness. Ok is devolved in Scotland but candidates must have a view.