Patients Association response to final report of the Prime Minister's Commission
Patients Association response to final report of the Prime Minister's Commission on the future of Nursing & Midwifery in England
For immediate release
02.03.10
Key Quotes (full release below)
"Whilst we welcome the pledge, it's a sad indictment that there is a need to restate the commitment of nurses and midwives, the caring profession, to high quality patient care. Patients expect compassion from all healthcare professionals, but rightly or wrongly, especially from nurses. And whilst the pledge is a good first step, ensuring every nurse and midwife lives up to it, and more importantly is allowed to, live up to it, is the only outcome patients are interested in."
"This is about giving back nurses the power to ensure they can be the "visible guardians" for patients, though this will lead to nothing if hospital trusts continue to have cultures that put finances, targets and bureaucracy ahead of patients."
"Yes better educated nurses may well have the potential to provide high quality care, but there are also many other nurses who aren't academically gifted who can still deliver first class nursing care."
In response to the final report of the Prime Minister's Commission on the future of Nursing & Midwifery Patients Association Director Katherine Murphy said
"Whilst we welcome the pledge, it's a sad indictment that there is a need to restate the commitment of nurses and midwives, the caring profession, to high quality patient care. Patients expect compassion from all healthcare professionals, but rightly or wrongly, especially from nurses. And whilst the pledge is a good first step, ensuring every nurse and midwife lives up to it, and more importantly is allowed to, live up to it, is the only outcome patients are interested in. Whilst the vast majority do a great job a minority have been allowed to continue bringing down the reputation of the professions. We also welcome the aim to strengthen the ward Sister. They set the tone for the ward and are accountable for the care it provides. This is about giving back nurses the power to ensure they can be the "visible guardians" for patients, though this will lead to nothing if hospital trusts continue to have cultures that put finances, targets and bureaucracy ahead of patients. The same misguided focus also means nurses and midwives don't get the time they need to deliver care, this is also something that should change as the commission recognises.
We also welcome the recommendations to introduce some form of regulation for healthcare assistants and to make the titles and role of those providing nursing and midwifery care much clearer. We agree that this is an urgent need. We also welcome the recommendation to make the title nurse a protected title.
We continue to be sceptical about the move to degree only nursing. Yes better educated nurses may well have the potential to provide high quality care, but there are also many other nurses who aren't academically gifted who can still deliver first class nursing care. I think the reference to making sure current nurses without a degree continue to be respected is too little too late. Nurses are being sent a confusing message about their value without a degree if they are being told ideally everyone should have one."
For more information and to arrange interviews please contact the Patients Association on 0208 423 9111 or 07779004898.
