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GPNs ‘ let down ’ over pay and conditions
Practice nurses feel ‘ let down ’ over pay and working conditions , especially during the Covid-19 pandemic , a landmark survey has found .
The survey , which took place in May 2020 , of 3,177 GPNs , was designed by the Queen ’ s Nursing Institute ( QNI ) and other stakeholders including the Royal College of Nursing ( RCN ), NHS England and NHS Improvement .
Practice nurses mentioned pay and working conditions most frequently out of all issues – 40 and 20 times , respectively – and in a ‘ universally negative ’ way , the report said .
QNI chief executive Dr Crystal Oldman said the QNI plans to hold a symposium on GPN workforce issues this spring and is ‘ very keen to work with NHS England ’ to address them .
One respondent wrote that the disparity of terms and conditions – such as sick pay , holiday and salaries – was ‘ shocking ’. Many GPNs are being ‘ let down and not respected or appreciated ’ and some staff ‘ can ’ t wait to get out and retire ’, they added . ‘ How sad and heartbreaking is that ?’
A GPN said their practice does not pay for sick leave , an issue previously reported by Nursing in Practice , and another argued they should be on Agenda for Change pay scales – which are currently reserved for NHS employees
– after demonstrating how ‘ integral ’ they were during the Covid-19 pandemic .
In all , 15 respondents said they wanted to leave the profession – and not solely because of pay . A 62-year-old wrote : ‘ If I was in a position to leave , I would . I do not think we are in any way properly protected and I feel very much at risk .’
One respondent complained they had received ‘ no support from a practice manager or GPs before and during Covid-19 ’. They added that they had no doubt this situation would continue after the pandemic .
Another wrote : ‘ It ’ s sickened me to see how nurses have been forced to put themselves at risk when the doctors in the surgery hide away in their rooms .’
Most ( 78 %) GPNs said they felt supported by their employer , but only 34 % said they felt supported by colleagues . The report concluded this observation ‘ warrants further investigation ’.
Dr Oldman said : ‘ Our aim is to help ensure more consistent and equitable treatment and recognition for the whole GPN workforce , who play such a vital role in population health .’
RCN chief executive Dame Donna Kinnair told Nursing in Practice in March last year that the RCN had a role in helping practice nurses to negotiate better terms and conditions in their contracts and ‘ articulate their worth ’.
But she cautioned that some GPNs who ‘ earn better ’ could see a salary drop if they move to an Agenda for Change contract and that it was difficult to get ‘ one shoe that fits all ’.
She added : ‘ It ’ s important to remember that the GP contract is a contract between the Government and the GPs . It ’ s then for nurses to negotiate with the GPs .’
By Mimi Launder
Clinical news
Alcohol drinking rises in pandemic
One in three Brits who drink alcohol say they drank more in 2020 than in 2019 and 22 % say they are worried about their drinking during the pandemic , according to a survey .
Drinkers have found themselves consuming alcohol earlier in the day ( 26 %), drinking more often ( 31 %) and drinking ‘ to try and cope ’ ( 23 %), according to research from Alcohol Change UK , the charity behind the Dry January campaign .
But the survey of 2,000 UK adults , released at the end of December , also estimated a fifth of adults were planning not to drink in January .
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Clowns help children in hospital
Clowns may improve the physical and emotional wellbeing of children and adolescents in hospital , a study has found .
Brazilian and Canadian researchers looked at the findings of 24 clinical trials involving 1,612 children that analysed reactions including anxiety , pain , emotional wellbeing and stress .
The earliest trial was carried out in 2005 and the latest in February last year .
The review , published this month in the BMJ , found that children and adolescents , either with acute or chronic conditions , had ‘ significantly less anxiety ’ about procedures and ‘ improved psychological adjustment ’ if hospital clowns were present , including before a painful operation and during the induction of anaesthesia .
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