Healthcare assistants (HCAs) overwhelmingly back the recommendations about their role made in the Francis report into care failings in Mid Staffordshire, a survey by Independent Nurse's sister title the British Journal of Healthcare Assistants, reveals.
Despite ministers' decision not to introduce compulsory HCA registration or regulation, 93 per cent of the survey's 385 respondents agreed compulsory registration should be introduced for support workers; 97 per cent said there should be 'common standards'; and 76 per cent said healthcare support workers should be regulated.
'Shortage of staff' was the number one threat to patient care cited by 47 per cent of respondents; followed by a 'focus on targets' (12 per cent); 'negative work culture' (9 per cent); and 'lack of care standards' (7 per cent).