PATIENT care is being compromised due to shortages of nursing staff, according to Royal College of Nursing (RCN) members across the South West.

A survey of more than 30,000 nursing staff across the UK asked about staffing levels on their most recent shift and the quality of care provided.

In the South West, 51 per cent of those who responded said that there was a shortfall of one or more registered nurses on their last shift.

And 39 per cent reported that there was a shortfall of one or more health care support workers on their last shift.

Additionally, more than half of South West region respondents (52 per cent) felt that patient care was compromised on their last shift.

The most common reasons given for compromised care were not having enough nurses or health care support workers, as well as having an increased number of patients who required a greater intensity of nursing care.

Sarah Zanoni, RCN South West region acting regional director said that the current situation is “unacceptable” and not safe for patients or staff.

“Yet again the RCN are required to highlight the problems our members are facing day in and day out as they do their best to give their patients safe care,” she said.

“It is completely unacceptable that so many of our members reported that their last shift was short staffed. “It is not safe for patients and it is not safe for staff.

“Despite efforts by NHS Trusts they continue to struggle to recruit and retain vital nursing staff.

“As we have highlighted time and again, nurses are leaving the profession because of ever increasing stress and feeling undervalued.

“Nursing staff have seen their salaries drop by 14 per cent in real terms and some face the very real prospect of having to leave the job they love in order to find better paid work.

“Added to increased pressure and the real terms pay cut nursing has become an even less appealing career now that student nurses can no longer receive financial assistance to train.

“Since the Government announced the withdrawal of the bursary for nurses, there has been a 23 per cent drop in applications for graduate nursing courses and a 28 per cent drop in applications from mature students.

“It is time ministers listened and take note of the impact their policies are having on safe patient care.”

The RCN is calling on the boards of health and social care providers across the UK to urgently review nurse staffing levels, give public assurances on patient safety and take action where standards are not met.

Nationally, almost half of all respondents (44 per cent) said no action was taken when they raised concerns about staffing levels.

The findings come after the nursing regulator – the Nursing and Midwifery Council – warned nursing was shrinking as more people were leaving than joining the profession.

It is expected that one in three nurses will retire in the next ten years.

The RCN is calling on providers of health and care services to urgently provide assurance to their boards that they are providing safe services.

In addition, the RCN is calling for new legislation across the UK that guarantees safe and effective nurse staffing.

The RCN repeated its call for increased funding for health and care services to meet the patient demand.

A Department of Health spokesman said that the number of nurses being trained would increase by 10,000 by 2020 and that the government was investing in the profession.

"We are helping the NHS to make sure it has the right staff, in the right place, at the right time to provide safe care," a spokeswoman said.