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Awards honour contribution of practice nurses
Nurses facing rising levels of abuse because of Covid
Primary care nurses have been suffering increased incidents of abuse during the coronavirus pandemic , practitioners have told Nursing in Practice .
Shouting , swearing , racist behaviour and accusations of ‘ not caring ’ are just some of the examples of verbal abuse nurses are facing on a daily basis .
Figures from the 2020 NHS Staff Survey showed that 28.5 % of the 569,440 NHS employees in England had experienced bullying or harassment from patients , their relatives or the public in the last 12 months .
Anecdotal evidence given to Nursing in Practice indicates the picture is similar in practices , and is getting worse for nurses .
A primary care nurse , who asked not to be named , said since the pandemic , for about ‘ 10 % of every day ’ she is verbally abused by patients . ‘ When you get this disrespect it makes you feel despondent . People think they ’ ve got the right to abuse you .’ She added that she was now ‘ thinking seriously about early retirement ’. Another nurse said she has been accused of ‘ not caring ’, which she found ‘ very hurtful , when you ’ re trying to care ’. She also said she had received a letter of complaint from a patient just for giving them health information about their condition .
Reasons that abuse towards nurses has got worse during Covid-19 include a perception that they are not offering enough face-to-face appointments , frustration at cancelled hospital appointments , and anxiety about the pandemic .
One GP in Yorkshire said that practice nurses were having to deal with ‘ multiple phone calls during the day where patients were angry and verbally abusive ’, because they were frustrated at not being able to see staff face to face at the surgery .
A survey of Royal College of Midwives ( RCM ) members last November found that seven in 10 midwives had suffered abuse from women and their partners because of Covid restrictions .
One midwife said : ‘ Women feel we are robbing them of the maternity care they want . They are angry and feel we do not understand . No matter how much we try to explain , some women and families can be incredibly verbally abusive . This is soul destroying .’
By Kathy Oxtoby
Since the pandemic , people think they ’ ve got the right to abuse you
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The Queen ’ s New Year Honours have recognised nurses and midwives . A total of 35 were nominated , for their services during the Covid pandemic and longer-term work .
Professor Greta Westwood , chief executive of the Florence Nightingale Foundation , was among the honoured , receiving a CBE . Jill Lisbeth Demilew , former consultant midwife at King ’ s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in London , was made an MBE .
Nursing and Midwifery Council ( NMC ) chief executive Andrea Sutcliffe congratulated the award recipients and said nursing and midwifery professionals had been ‘ at the heart of the UK ’ s response to Covid-19 .
‘ I could not be prouder of the skill , bravery and kindness of nurses , midwives and nursing associates during this most challenging of years ,’ she added .
Royal College of Nursing ( RCN ) chief executive Dame Donna Kinnair echoed this , saying she was also ‘ extremely proud ’ of the ‘ many more whose names aren ’ t on there ’.
She continued : ‘ The last year has seen unprecedented challenges for all nursing staff right across the country . From hospitals to care homes , in GP practices and in people ’ s own homes , they should all end the year with their heads held high for the dedication and professionalism they have shown .’
RCN tells PM to be ‘ accurate ’ about nursing pay
The Royal College of Nursing ( RCN ) has urged Prime Minister Boris Johnson to be ‘ accurate ’ when discussing nursing pay , following his claim that nurses received a 12.8 % pay rise in the last few years .
RCN chief executive Dame Donna Kinnair told Mr Johnson that the figure was not one that ‘ nursing staff will recognise ’ and that this was ‘ demoralising ’.
Mr Johnson made the statement while responding to a question on public sector pay from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer in the House of Commons in January .
The Prime Minister said : ‘ There have been above-inflation pay increases for public-sector workers . Nurses in particular have had a 12.8 % increase over the last few years .’
But in a letter sent to the Prime Minister later that day , Dame Donna argued that ‘ nursing staff are worse off now than they were in 2010 , following years of freezes and awards that were capped below the level of inflation ’.
She continued : ‘ This cannot be right , 10 months into this pandemic . Experienced nursing staff are 15.3 % worse off in real terms .’
Mr Johnson was referring to the three-year Agenda For Change pay deal agreed in 2018 . nursinginpractice . com Winter 2021