Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Royal College of Nursing Nursing Under Unsustainable Pressures: Staffing for Safe and Effective Care in the UK, published on 6 June; and what assessment they have made of any risks posed to patients' lives resulting from the "unsustainable pressure" on nursing staff due to staff shortages.

We welcome the Royal College of Nursing’s report and share its aim for a well-supported nursing workforce. While no specific assessment has been made, evidence-based decision-making on safe and effective staffing is a requirement for all National Health Service organisations. We have committed to deliver an additional 50,000 nurses and ensure the NHS can access a sustainable long-term workforce supply. In March 2022, the number of nurses has increased by more than 30,000 compared to September 2019.