We have the tools to raise our game

Most of the public are unhappy with the NHS, according to latest findings of the British Social Attitudes Survey (Nuffield Trust, 2023). However, at the same time, nursing has topped an independent poll of the country's most trusted professions, with 89% of British people saying that they trusted nurses to tell the truth (Royal College of Nursing (RCN), 2023).

Nursing came top out of 30 professions in the annual Ipsos Veracity Index, which has been running since 1983. Nurses were only added to the list in 2016 and have topped the poll ever since. This, I feel, is one of the reasons that our profession is in a strong position to regain public trust and confidence in health care and drive many of the changes required.

Almost weekly, we hear about another service or organisation that falls short, with the publication of reports detailing poor patient and family experiences, and inadequate, unsafe care. Such findings also have a significant impact on staff. Typically, what then follows is either a local or national report making recommendations for the sector that we all need to consider.