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UPDATED

01 JUL 2020

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has put forward an eight-point plan of measure, which, according to it, is important to help nurses through the next wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The college’s list of demands includes on-time access to funded psychological help and safe ways for nursing staff to report their concerns about PPE (Personal Protective Equipment).

“To provide full support to our healthcare staff, the practical measures are only the starting point”.

100 days have passed since the WHO declared the pandemic and to mark it, the RCN is calling on the UK governments, all relevant agencies and employers to “take care of those who care for others”

The RCN, in its report titled Committing to the safe rebuilding of health and social care services, underlined the importance of regular tests and risk assessment for nurses and also for right actions to lessen the increased ethnicity-specific risks experienced by BAME i.e. black, Asian, and minority ethnic staff.

The RCN requested to make efforts in order to restore student nurse education to normalcy as early as possible

The RCN said that the crisis is already past its peak and “authority and resources must be handed over to the nurse leaders to reopen, rebuild and transform services safely”.

The eight-point plans laid out by them are as follows:

• Regular risk assessment for healthcare staff, with all identified and assessed risks acted on
• Proper assessment of increased risks experienced by BAME and actual causes
• Accountable and transparent mechanism for staff to voice concerns about PPE
• Making sure nurses can have breaks at work, take time off and are on duty for reasonable hours.
• Employers’ commitment towards funding counselling and psychological help for all nursing staff
• Supporting nurses to get back to their basic roles and service zones “as soon as it’s safe”
• Resource allocation to “future immune” infection control and crucial care capacity and capabilities
• “Clear Directions” for nursing students to resume normal studies as early as possible.

“Nursing staff and other healthcare employees across the UK have proven their amazing leadership qualities and commitment. But as we get past the peak of the pandemic, we must ensure care for those who are caring for others”, said chief executive and general secretary of the RCN,Dame Donna Kinnair.

“It’s now important for our government and employers, including the NHS, to take measures to protect our social and healthcare services and staff, who have performed remarkably well at a time of pandemic health crisis”.

“Weekly clapping may have fallen into silence, but the pragmatic steps required to provide support to our health care workers are just taking off”.

The college intervention comes as the UK Covid-19 alert has got down from level four to three. It implies the virus is now in “general circulation”. Transmission was previously considered to be “high or on exponential rise”.

The recommendation to downgrade the alert level received approval from the chief medical officers for England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

They said in a joint statement, “Covid-19 cases in all four countries have seen a steady slump and the trend continues”.

“It never means the crisis is over. The localized outbreaks may take place due to its’ general circulation”.

“Public effort has made it possible to progress and we require the public to follow the guidelines carefully to ensure continuation in progress”.

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