NMC responds to National Audit Office report on 'Readying the NHS and adult social care in England for COVID-19'

Andrea Sutcliffe CBE, Chief Executive and Registrar of the Nursing and Midwifery Council, said:

“Today’s report highlights the enormous challenges faced by the health and care system in responding to the Covid-19 pandemic. At the forefront of that response are nurses, midwives and nursing associates on both our permanent and temporary registers. It’s their selfless work, alongside their colleagues, that means many lives have been saved and millions of people across the country have and continue to receive the very best, safest care.

“But this pandemic is far from over. The threat of second a wave is a very real possibility and as more routine services resume, the pressure on services and our professionals will not ease, and may well get worse. It’s vital that the mental and physical wellbeing of staff is prioritised in the weeks and months ahead.

“This report also raises important considerations for Government and the entire health and care system. Not least the challenges faced by staff in accessing PPE, and long standing concerns about the funding and integration of adult social care with the wider system. We must all take seriously our responsibility in learning from what has happened so far and in preparing for both the short and longer term challenges that lie ahead.”

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