Hospitals consider ‘risky’ dilution of ICU nursing ratios

NHS trusts in London are looking to dilute their intensive care nurse-to-patient ratios due to workforce shortages, according to a leading critical care nurse.

Nicki Credland, chair of the British Association of Critical Care Nurses, told HSJ’s Patient Safety Congress that trust leaders in London have discussed relaxing the ratios from one nurse per patient, to one nurse per 1.75 patients.

ICU staffing ratios have been intermittently diluted throughout the covid pandemic, but this has previously been used as a temporary measure.

Ms Credland, a keynote speaker at the event on Tuesday, suggested some trusts are now looking at a permanent shift away from one-to-one care. She added: “What we are seeing now is that certain trusts in the country are doing exactly what we were worried about."

“Starting to move away from those [guidelines for the provision of intensive care services] standards that we have, that protect both us as nurses but also protect the patient’s safety as well."

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Source: HSJ, 24 September 2021