RCN South West

23/01/2026

Work-related stress in health care has been rising for years, and can affect health, wellbeing and behaviour. If you work, study or are retired in Cornwall, join RCN Cornwall Branch for the first branch meeting of the year with a discussion on work-related stress and civility, dignity and respect.

From 6pm, reps based in Cornwall are welcome to a rep-only pre-meet, at which you can exchange intelligence, advice and support.

Then at 6:30pm ordinary RCN members are welcome to join, either virtually via MS Teams, or in person in Truro for a branch meeting and discussion on the effects of work-related stress.

Join the first local RCN meeting of the year, for a discussion on work-related stress and civility, dignity and respect.

23/01/2026

📣 Matthew Stewart, RCN South West rep, RCN Gloucestershire Branch Chair and a member of the RCN UK Stewards Committee, was interviewed by BBC Gloucestershire 📻yesterday about corridor care. Listen from 17 mins 55 seconds in: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002pyc0
Well done Matthew - everyone needs to shout from the rooftops until this unacceptable practice has ended.

Nicky's here with stories to make you smile, great music and daytime conversation.

23/01/2026

Matthew Stewart, one of our Gloucestershire reps and the Chair of the RCN Gloucestershire Branch has been interviewed on corridor care by the BBC.

"Matthew Stewart, a critical care nurse at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, said it was undignified for patients to have these personal treatments in public spaces and it affects staff wellbeing... [he] is calling for national reporting of data on how widespread corridor care has become."

Well said Matthew! 👏 ✊ 📢
Read more of the interview:

A critical care nurse says he worries corridor care is becoming "normalised" in the NHS.

22/01/2026

This week is .

Regular cervical screenings are vital to spotting abnormal changes to the cervix which, if not treated, may progress to cervical cancer.

Designed for registered nurses working in a range of health care settings, our updated resource provides an overview of HPV, the national cervical screening programme, key facts on cervical cancer and more. Learn more ➡️ https://bit.ly/4pwSiwI

21/01/2026

Good news! We have six openings on the RCN Group EDI Committee and you are welcome to put yourself forward as an RCN member in any category. Key information:
• Application deadline: 4.30pm, Monday 2 February 2026.
• Seats available:
o 4 for nurse members
o 1 for a nursing support worker member (must have at least three years of membership)
o 1 for a student member (must not be due to qualify before 2 September 2026)
If you're interested simply check out the RCN current elections and appointments webpage (you'll need your member login details to access everything you'll need). Go to https://www.rcn.org.uk/Get-Involved/RCN-elections-and-appointments/Current-RCN-elections-and-appointments (no login needed) and bookmark the page, or if you have your details to hand, go straight to https://www.rcn.org.uk/Get-Involved/RCN-elections-and-appointments/Current-RCN-elections-and-appointments/EDI-Committee-appointments.
You'll gain a huge amount in return for your commitment.
Log in to read what's involved and how it will benefit you, your colleagues and your profession.

19/01/2026

Royal College of Nursing Students, if you're studying in the South West region, give us a follow!

It's never too early to start planning your first steps as a registered nurse.

Learn how our newly updated digital handbook can help prepare and support you as you enter the profession: ➡️ https://bit.ly/4jFM5N0

16/01/2026

‘Ashamed and angry’ nursing staff speak out on corridor care. These quotes are from members in the South West who responded to a survey on nursing in inappropriate places that we ran last year.
https://www.rcn.org.uk/news-and-events/news/uk-corridor-care-nursing-staff-testimony-150126

15/01/2026

The RCN is reiterating its call for urgent, fully funded action plans to eradicate the practice, including investment in beds, the nursing workforce, community services and social care.

Nursing staff say the lack of action by governments has left them feeling “ashamed”, “angry”, and “embarrassed” about the unsafe, undignified care they are forced to deliver to patients.

The RCN says the practice must end urgently, as testimony from our members shows its damaging effects

15/01/2026

We believe this latest testimony shows the unacceptable practice of corridor care is spreading beyond emergency departments, including acute assessment units, respiratory wards, surgical wards and elderly care wards.

These quotes are just a few of the survey results that came back from our members when we asked them how they felt about delivering care in inappropriate places. https://www.rcn.org.uk/magazines/News/UK-corridor-care-nursing-staff-testimony-150126

15/01/2026

Menopause and Long COVID share overlapping symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, shortness of breath, and muscle aches, making it difficult to differentiate between the two and offer tailored support.

Explore our latest publication designed to help nursing staff understand assessment, diagnosis, and management for both menopause and Long COVID. ➡️ https://bit.ly/49s5dJF

08/01/2026

What's on the Congress agenda? You tell us! Save the date and shape the agenda: the nursing event of the year is now just a few months away and we need you to shape the debates that matter most to nursing.

Members are central to the success of Congress and the topics we debate. Unfortunately, the number of agenda item submissions received so far has been lower than we’d hoped, so we’ve extended the deadline to midnight Tuesday 13 January. You will need to work with a voting entity such as a forum, branch, board or committee executive to submit your entry entities. https://www.rcn.org.uk/congress/Submit-an-agenda-item

05/01/2026

Students, there is a vacancy on the UK Students Committee for a South West student to represent your peers. If you would like to gain experience at national committee level, get your nomination in by TOMORROW, 6 January. Find out more:
https://www.rcn.org.uk/Get-Involved/RCN-elections-and-appointments/Current-RCN-elections-and-appointments