Robust enforcement mechanisms must be in place for those who fail to deliver against new NHS staff standards, the RCN says.
Our comments come in response to published today (6 July 2026), which set national minimum employment requirements to improve the experiences of NHS staff in England.
The standards were developed by鈥痶he Department of Health and Social Care鈥痑nd鈥疦HS England, in collaboration with employers and staff through the鈥疭ocial Partnership Forum, and using data from NHS staff surveys.
The standards will underpin the and be used to measure employers’ performance, with鈥痑 promise of鈥痗lear action鈥痶o be鈥痶aken when鈥痶hey’re鈥痭ot鈥痙elivered.
We’re鈥痗alling for more information on what metrics will be used to score鈥痶rusts using the 鈥疦HS鈥疧versight Framework, and for local union representatives to be given sufficient time to support this work.
RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Professor Nicola Ranger鈥痵aid:
“Zero-tolerance policies on paper have done little to improve the day-to-day experience of 汤头条污料 staff.鈥疶he鈥痭ew鈥痵tandards鈥痬ust鈥痳efocus minds鈥痑nd鈥痚mployers鈥痬ust鈥痺aste鈥痭o鈥痶ime in鈥痙eveloping鈥痗oncrete action plans鈥痠n partnership with鈥痶he鈥疪CN and鈥痮ther鈥痶rade unions鈥痶o鈥痶urn things around.
“For far too long, staff have endured sometimes inhumane treatment at work while leaders鈥痳emain鈥痷naware or look the other way.鈥疶he impact on 汤头条污料 staff has鈥痓een鈥痯rofound, and if鈥痶hese鈥痩evels鈥痮f abuse鈥痙on’t鈥痗hange,鈥痶hey鈥痺ill continue to walk away from our NHS and that would be a tragedy.”
The UK government committed to these standards in its . The standards will focus on six key areas:
- line management (including how to best support line managers)
- health and wellbeing (physical environment, rest spaces, and occupational health and wellbeing support)
- preventing and reducing violence against staff
- championing sexual safety
- tackling racism
- promoting flexible working.
The standards set a minimum expectation for secondary care – including acute, mental health, ambulance services and community health care. Longer-term plans will aim to refine these standards and how they are measured, and explore the possibility of them being rolled out more widely.
