Nurses were ‘scarcely mentioned’ in a Queen’s speech which touched on mental health reform, domestic abuse legislation and patient protection but drew criticism from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN).
Prime Minister Theresa May has presented plans for what she hopes will be a two-year government as Queen Elizabeth spoke to Parliament on 21 June, hours before the Royal Ascot.
The speech contained a handful of policies mentioned in the Conservative party’s election manifesto but excluded controversial proposals such as grammar school expansion and a vote on fox hunting.
While the biggest questions of funding for the NHS and pay for its staff were not addressed, the Queen spoke about a draft Patient Protection Bill which would improve how the NHS investigates and learns from mistakes by establishing an independent investigation body.
Briefly touching on NHS funding, she said: ‘My ministers will strengthen the economy so that it supports the creation of jobs and generates the tax revenues needed to invest in the National Health Service, schools, and other public services.’
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RCN chief executive Janet Davis criticised Mrs May for dodging the matter of nurses’ pay in the speech, speaking of nurses being ‘driven out’ of their jobs.
She said: ‘Theresa May had an opportunity to show that she had listened to public concern over the future of the NHS. By scarcely mentioning its patients and workforce today, the Government made clear that nothing will change.
‘Nursing staff and others across the NHS hoped to hear a new tone. Theresa May's below-inflation cap on their pay does nothing to help fill the 40,000 vacant nurse jobs in England. It should have been scrapped today.
‘We will look closely at today's announcements on mental health and social care but the rhetoric needs to be matched with cash. These promises would have been easier to deliver if thousands of mental health nurses had been able to stay in their jobs in recent years.’
Speaking more specifically, the speech promised the government would ‘reform mental health legislation and ensure that mental health is prioritised in the National Health Service in England’, following up on Mrs May’s campaign promises to scrap the Mental Health Act and replace it with legislation which would deter unjust detention.
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Chief executive of Mind Paul Farmer said: ‘We welcome the government’s proposals to reform mental health legislation. Being detained under the Act is one of the most serious things that can happen to someone in terms of their mental health and the current legislation is outdated and not in line with the principles of modern health care.’
A draft Domestic Violence and Abuse Bill will also be put forward to protect victims, as well as setting up a specialised commissioner to stand up for victims and survivors, raise public awareness and monitor responsible agencies.
The Institute of Health Visiting (iHV) has recently been promoting how health visitors are well-positioned to spot the signs of domestic violence and can intervene by engaging with and supporting victims in their situations.
iHV executive director Cheryll Adams said: ‘These proposals are a positive step towards combatting domestic violence. Giving the term a legal definition will increase awareness of what domestic violence and abuse really are – including the psychological and sexual dimensions it can take on.
‘Not only might that help victims to identify their situation, it may also be a wake-up call to perpetrators who may be granted a chance to stop and think about the true nature of their actions. Next steps for the government would be to legislate support for perpetrators as well.
‘Our focus as health visitors is often the children who may end up caught in the middle of domestic abuse situations between their parents. This can lead to ramifications for their mental health or see the behaviour continue in cycles down generations.
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‘Any next steps should be made with these children in mind.’
The speech will go to the House of Commons to be voted on by MPs in the coming weeks and may be decisive in Mrs May’s ability to form a government.