The NHS must maintain frontline nursing services as nurses are key to helping people manage their conditions and thus saving the NHS money, according to healthcare staffing specialist Healthcare Locums (HCL).

Findings from the Royal College of Nursing suggest that as many as 10,000 frontline clinical posts have been lost or are due to be cut as NHS Trusts seek to find cost savings. The report also warns that specialist nurses may be cut or asked to do general nursing tasks when they are key to keeping people well and out of hospital.

Kate Bleasdale, executive vice chairman of HCL, says: “We support the RCN in its calls for frontline nursing services to be maintained. There are serious shortages of nurses in key areas such as intensive care and special care baby units. Our concern is that these areas of shortage will get worse especially after degree requirements become compulsory post 2013 as nurses take longer to train. Specialist nurses should be doing what they are trained to do, not taking on general roles.”