- Funding NHS cost-cutting has undermined the quality of patient care, according to the RCN. In a speech at RCN Congress last week, the college's chief executive and general secretary Dr Peter Carter said: 'It's time to shift the balance away from the target culture back to quality patient care.'

- Dignity Two-thirds of nurses say they sometimes or never have enough time to make sure patients are treated with dignity, an RCN survey shows. More than eight out of 10 said they sometimes or always left work upset or distressed because they had not been able to ensure patients were treated with dignity.

- Workforce planning RCN general secretary and chief executive Dr Peter Carter has raised concerns about workforce planning in a letter to DoH director general of workforce Clare Chapman. In a question-and-answer session at the congress Dr Carter said workforce planning was an area where the DoH was 'lacking'.

- Paperwork The RCN has called for more administrative support for nurses to free them from paperwork, and allow them to focus on patient care. Some 88 per cent of nurses face more paperwork now than five years ago, but only 22 per cent said admin support had increased.

- NHS reform RCN members voted strongly against a motion calling for faster change in the NHS. David Dawes, of the Nurse Entrepreneurs Group, said: 'Every change brings a drop in performance and morale. If you don't allow the time for recovery after a change, both just get lower and lower'. A total of 85.4 per cent voted against the motion.

- Industrial action RCN members voted to amend rule 12, a clause that defines the college's principles in relation to industrial action. Cecilia Anim of the RCN's Islington Branch called for its abolition because it was unclear, confusing and too restrictive if nurses felt that they needed to go on strike. But the congress voted instead to amend the measure to make it more transparent.

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