£5 million initiative to cut staff absence announced.

A DRIVE to improve NHS staff health will fail unless one of the main causes of stress, namely lack of staff, is tackled, say unions.

Staffing issues must be addressed if health push is to succeed, says RCN.

A £5 million initiative to tackle the health of NHS workers will fail unless one of the biggest causes of stress - lack of staff - is addressed, the RCN has warned.

Nursing directors urged to join safe staffing group.

ENGLAND'S CHIEF nurse Jane Cummings has written to nursing directors inviting them to become part of an expert group on safe staffing.

High turnover of nursing directors is damaging to trusts' performance.

Nearly one fifth of nursing directors in England have been in the post for a year or less, exclusive research by Nursing Standard reveals.

Chief Nurse responds to safe staffing concerns.

England's chief nurse Jane Cummings has written to directors of nursing to address what she describes as 'misconceptions' about news that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is shelving its programme of work on safe nurse staffing guidelines.

Hospital staff caught up in Chua killings offered support by trust.

Nurses who unwittingly administered saline contaminated by a colleague to murder two patients and poison 20 others have been given counselling.

NHS to close residential hospitals for people with learning disabilities.

Many residential hospitals for people with learning disabilities will be shut over the next two years as part of a government pledge to move people out of these settings following the Winterbourne View abuse scandal.

Expert advocates pain relief for all patients with dementia.

Pain relief should be given routinely to all hospital patients who have dementia to prevent those who are unable to communicate that they are in pain being left untreated.

Report into clostridium difficile deaths at Vale of Leven reveals poor care and lack of leadership.

An inquiry into the deaths of patients from clostridium difficile at the Vale of Leven Hospital in Scotland has criticised nurses for providing substandard care.

Meet Jon Billings, the man charged with modernising the NMC's image.

For the past year and a half the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has been a hive of activity as it tries to repair its tarnished reputation. Barely a month goes by without nurses being consulted on some proposed change, a requirement under the NMC's governing legislation.

NMC fees increase moves closer after ministers fail to change law.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has been dealt a 'hugely disappointing' blow after the government abandoned proposals to transform healthcare regulation.

Call for diabetes screening to be standard in every care home.

Screening for diabetes should be carried out in every older people's care home, researchers state.

Protesters take to the streets in call for reversal of pay freeze 'insult'.

Nurses across England have united in public protest at the government's refusal to give all NHS workers a 1 per cent pay rise this year.

'Shocking' learning disability revelations.

Almost two thirds of inpatients with learning disabilities are given tranquilisers regularly, an England-wide census of learning disability services has revealed.