Saving money, cutting waste

My most recent blog can be found on the 'Frontline First' website talking about cutting waste in the NHS. Please visit www.rcn.org.uk/frontlinefirst for more information.

We know that the NHS is being asked to make billions of pounds of ‘efficiency savings’ over the next few years. The RCN is clear that it is essential these ‘efficiency savings’ do not have a negative impact on standards of patient care.

We believe that the key to saving money is cutting waste. Waste is rife amongst too many parts of the NHS, however we can take very practical steps to cut this back. This is where we need you.

This campaign is all about finding out what’s really happening where you work and where you think improvements need to be made. Already, hundreds of you have written in to speak out about waste. Your evidence is helping us gather the knowledge we need to make the NHS more efficient and to protect jobs.

A number of trends are emerging across the UK. Many of you have pointed out simple practices that waste money, such as ordering medication or dressings which go unused, or leaving electrical equipment plugged in unnecessarily which runs up expensive electricity bills.

There are also examples of IT systems that make nurses and healthcare assistants’ lives harder rather than easier and administration systems that don’t offer the level of support staff need. In many cases these systems are keeping you away from where you need to be – with patients.

We know that these are only some of the many examples of waste that exist and we need your help in identifying more. Nursing staff like you are often best-placed to see what’s happening at the heart of the NHS. We will use your evidence to highlight where money can be saved without damaging frontline care.

Together we can stamp out waste, protect services and improve care.