Nurse leaders call time on unsafe staffing levels

Nursing leaders have issued an unprecedented warning that patient care is unsafe on wards where each registered nurse is looking after more than eight patients, a regular occurrence in many hospitals.

Safe and Sound, the Safe Staffing Alliance, made up of senior expert nurses, says the 1:8 figure is based on hard evidence and they have issued new recommendations that ‘under no circumstances’ should staffing be allowed to fall to below that level.

A study by researchers at the National Nursing Research Unit, King’s College London and Southampton University, found that hospitals with eight patients per registered nurse (during the day time on general acute wards) would see around 20 extra deaths a year more than better staffed hospitals. Those units with worse staffing levels could expect more ‘excess’ deaths.

A national nursing survey found that wards are run with one registered nurse to eight patients or more approximately 40% of the time.

Jane Ball, Deputy Director of the National Nursing Research Unit, said:

‘More than eight patients per registered nurse is the level considered to be unsafe and putting patients at risk. It is not a recommended minimum. For nurses to provide compassionate care which treats patients with dignity and respect, higher levels will be needed and these should be determined by every health care provider.’

Professor Elizabeth Robb, Chief Executive of the Florence Nightingale Foundation, added: ‘For the first time ever, nursing’s leadership is united on this. We are coming together to stand up for patient safety and for the profession.’

‘We are saying that, with a ratio of one registered nurse to more than eight patients, there is a significantly increased risk of harm.  We hope that by coming up with a figure we will give Directors of Nursing the evidence they need to argue for the staffing levels necessary to provide good care.

‘If government are saying that staffing levels are a local decision, then it is more important than ever to set out clear guidance.’

The Safe Staffing Alliance was brought together by Nursing Standard as part of its Care campaign. Members include: 

• The Patients Association
• The Florence Nightingale Foundation
• The Royal College of Nursing
• Unison
• Nursing Standard
• Nursing researchers, academics and Directors of Nursing

Click here for the full text of the Alliance’s statement. For more information on the evidence supporting the statement click here.