According to the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) many of the senior and specialist nurses face a serious job cut. They are being targeted by the NHS. The senior nurses, with expertise in a range of conditions including diabetes, multiple sclerosis and epilepsy, are seen as a soft target by some NHS trusts.
The government wants to encourage nurses who work with people in their own homes. Howard Catton, head of policy at the RCN, said a lot of the posts were being downgraded or closed. Some of them are part-funded by charities. He said that nurses involved in infection control, palliative care, rheumatology disorders or multiple sclerosis are identified to be at a greater risk of being removed in order to help hospitals achieve financial balance.A spokesman for the Department of Health said specialist nurses were highly valued and plays an essential part of the NHS workforce. He also said that they are encouraging better health care facilities and would like to provide the care in the patient’s home. This would help people with long-term conditions being catered by specialist nurses.
