Kingston Hospital to look at ways to improve HCA morale

There are 243 HCAs at the trust and nearly half of them work in acute medicine and A&E, with a further quarter in women and children’s health.

The trust said it would “review of training support and induction, clarify the roles and expectations of HCA staff” and perform “a consultation on reducing the number of HCAs within the Acute Admissions Unit”.

It added: “This area deals with a high turnover of acutely unwell patients and the consultation proposes that reducing the number of HCAs and replacing them with qualified (Band 5) nurses will improve the patient experience but also reduce the exposure of HCAs to that more intensive and pressurised environment.”