Francis Report: Update and Response

Valerie Vaz Excerpts

Wednesday 11th February 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

The hon. Gentleman makes an important point, but I hope I can reassure him, because NICE has published guidelines on safe staffing levels, although they are different for different parts of a hospital: in intensive care, it is 1:1; for less severe illnesses, it is one nurse to eight patients; and in other parts of a hospital, it is one nurse to four patients. Those are all published, and I hope they will help whistleblowers in Cornwall and elsewhere.

[Valerie Vaz (Walsall South) (Lab)]

What support will the Secretary of State give to trusts to ensure that safe staffing levels are implemented, given that they might need extra resources?

[Mr Hunt]

We have protected—indeed increased—the NHS budget in real terms at the time of the biggest financial crisis since the second world war, so I think the Government have done what they can to make resources available. However, improving care is not always about money, and some hospitals manage to staff their wards safely and achieve financial balance. In fact, hospitals that practise safe care tend to be in a better financial position than ones that do not, so safe care and good finances actually go together.