St Richard's Hospital say lives are not at risk

Healthcare assistants (HCAs) have hit the headlines after Peter Carter, the chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing, warned in a national newspaper that patients’ lives were being put at risk by untrained staff, who were being made to do the work of qualified nurses.

But the Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust has dispelled concerns about the burden being placed on the assistants on the wards.

Cathy Stone, director of nursing, said: “When they come into the organisation initially, they will have a three-day induction. They are then supervised on a ward area.”