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Nurses express ‘no confidence’ in Lansley

By Ellie Broughton

A motion of 'no confidence' in health secretary Andrew Lansley has been passed by 99% of nurses gathered at the annual Royal College of Nursing conference.

The motion 'this meeting of the RCN Congress, in the light of Anne Milton's Congress address, has no confidence in Andrew Lansley's management of this coalition Government's NHS reforms', won 478 'for' votes, 6 against, and 13 abstentions.

The vote preceded the health secretary's visit to the conference, later today. Mr Lansley will talk to 50 nurses as part of his NHS-wide 'listening exercise' on the health bill.

Chief executive of the RCN Dr Peter Carter said the result was a reflection of nurses' 'passionate and honestly held concerns' that the proposed NHS reforms could destabilise the NHS.

'Nurses need to have a pivotal role within the new NHS structures and we call on the Government to listen to what our members have been expressing this week.'

'At the heart of these concerns are the interests of patient care. We want to work with the Government to ensure that the NHS develops and moves forward in a way that we and patients would wish.'

Andrew Lansley