The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has joined forces with almost 40 of the UK’s leading health organisations to warn that cutting specialist nurse services for people with long-term conditions would be a “false economy”, as they began a campaign for guaranteed access to specialist nursing care for all patients with long-term conditions.
RCN said that specialist nurse posts, many of which were lost during the deficits crisis of 2006, save millions of pounds from health budgets through reduced complications, fewer hospital re-admissions and the expert long-term management of conditions. They also provide many patients and families with a lifeline which no other service can offer. Examples of savings which can be delivered by specialist nurses include:
• £56 million a year on care for people with Parkinson’s.
• £180 million could be saved by treating Multiple Sclerosis flare ups at home rather than in hospital.
• £84 million could be saved by using nurse specialists for epilepsy rather than GPs to manage the condition.
The RCN has conducted a survey of 60 of the leading health organisations, and almost 300 of the specialist nurses they represent in order to assess the value and availability of specialist nursing to patients with a wide range of long-term conditions. Only 36% of respondents felt that everyone who needed specialist nursing currently received it. Of those who identified problems accessing specialist care (48.8%), the overwhelming majority (69.1%) reported that specialist nurse services are already overloaded and do not have capacity for new referrals. More than a third of respondents have seen cuts in services over the last 12 months, and 57% are concerned that posts will be threatened in the near future. The RCN is calling for every patient with a long-term condition to have guaranteed access to specialist nursing care and for specialist posts to be supported by guaranteed funding.
