Current News

In launching the survey, Dr Peter Carter, Chief Executive & General Secretary of the RCN, said:

“Nurses are clearly feeling the burden of non-essential paperwork. The danger is that this is undermining their ability to care for patients and support relatives. Wherever possible, these non-essential tasks should be carried out by clerical staff".

Commenting on the findings of the RCN Survey, Peter Cullimore, Chair of the REC’s Nursing & Social Care Sector Group says:

“With the Government increasingly focusing on patient feedback and on front-line delivery of healthcare services, it is crucial to address potential barriers such as excessive  administrative duties for clinical staff.  Recruiting the right people at the right time to do the right jobs is crucial if the NHS is to deliver the quality of care that patients expect. Agencies already supply admin & clerical staff into the NHS and there may be scope for more administrative support to free up time for nurses to spend with their patients”.

The REC is in regular contact with the Department of Health and will continue to promote the role that recruitment agencies play in providing temporary staff for key clinical roles such as nursing and locum doctors as well as for vital admin & clerical roles within the NHS.