On Monday we learnt that struck off nurse Margaret Haywood would have her punishment reduced to a one year caution and she is therefore now allowed to return to work.
Margaret had helped in the undercover filming of a Panorama documentary to expose shocking standards of patient care. She was struck off by the NMC in April for breaching patient confidentiality. Whilst we believe that patient confidentiality is exceptionally important, so too is the ability to speak out against poor care, free from fear of retribution.
Margaret was a dedicated nurse with an unblemished career who simply wanted to get back to nursing, so we were very happy with the result.
In May this year we launched its ‘Raising Concerns, Raising Standards’ hotline (0345 7726 300) which gives RCN members the opportunity to register patient safety concerns after following the normal internal procedures. The hotline is confidential and will protect our members who call and make sure the appropriate action is then taken.
This is undoubtedly a good start and I’m proud that the RCN has taken the lead on this hugely important issue, however – more needs to be done.
Over the weeks and months before the next General Election, the RCN will be calling on all political parties to protect those who speak out about patient safety. We believe that all healthcare organisations should be required to hold a register of staff concerns that must be reported to their Board regularly and made available to the public.
If we’re going to protect those who seek to improve patient care we need a united approach that helps all healthcare workers, not just RCN members.
Monday, 19 October 2009
Thursday, 8 October 2009
Care before cuts...
This is a comment piece that appeared in the Guardian this week...
Earlier this year, the RCN undertook a Freedom of Information request that revealed the NHS spends at least £350 million a year on management consultants; a figure that we suspect could be much higher.
If anything pointed out the waste and inefficiencies that could be cut from an NHS budget, this was surely it.
Of the huge figure spent on these consultants, 78% (or £273 million) was spent on projects that did not directly affect patient care. These include re-branding trusts, changing logos or re-naming organisations to make them more attractive to potential patients.
The RCN has nothing against management consultants, but when one considers that the money spent on them could pay for 330 fully staffed medical wards, one has to question the virtue of this expenditure.
If the NHS is to look to ways to reduce spending, which in today’s climate appears inevitable, then we must look at costs like these. What we mustn’t do is wield the axe towards our front line services and the areas that comfort, cure and care for patients.
One can only imagine how demoralising all this must be for our nurses, doctors and others; to see such vast sums spent on consultancy when they fear their own services may face cut backs and budget reductions.
Cuts to our front line would see waiting lists soar, standards plummet and a quality of care that no patient deserves. Efficiencies can be made, but they must be made intelligently and to areas of spending that don’t impact on the dignified and quality care that all patients deserve.
Earlier this year, the RCN undertook a Freedom of Information request that revealed the NHS spends at least £350 million a year on management consultants; a figure that we suspect could be much higher.
If anything pointed out the waste and inefficiencies that could be cut from an NHS budget, this was surely it.
Of the huge figure spent on these consultants, 78% (or £273 million) was spent on projects that did not directly affect patient care. These include re-branding trusts, changing logos or re-naming organisations to make them more attractive to potential patients.
The RCN has nothing against management consultants, but when one considers that the money spent on them could pay for 330 fully staffed medical wards, one has to question the virtue of this expenditure.
If the NHS is to look to ways to reduce spending, which in today’s climate appears inevitable, then we must look at costs like these. What we mustn’t do is wield the axe towards our front line services and the areas that comfort, cure and care for patients.
One can only imagine how demoralising all this must be for our nurses, doctors and others; to see such vast sums spent on consultancy when they fear their own services may face cut backs and budget reductions.
Cuts to our front line would see waiting lists soar, standards plummet and a quality of care that no patient deserves. Efficiencies can be made, but they must be made intelligently and to areas of spending that don’t impact on the dignified and quality care that all patients deserve.
Thursday, 1 October 2009
The next step...
Having recently departed from the Labour party conference, one issue in particular stayed with me. Both the Prime Minister and Andy Burnham, the Secretary of State for Health, made mention of the Social Care Green Paper; one of the most important pieces of work being undertaken right now.
Last year we celebrated the 60th birthday of our national health service and now we must turn our attention to ensuring an equally fair and available social care service.
The current framework for adult social care is now widely recognised as confusing and outdated. Patients often find themselves on a ‘revolving door’ between health and social care – the current system needs a radical overhaul.
The Government admits the status quo isn’t good enough. This status quo ranges from more money being taken from those who have saved to a postcode lottery for quality care.
A far greater percentage of the population are now cared for in their own homes, which can only be a positive move. However, many care services in the community remain fragmented. Moving the care of vulnerable people into local areas will require significant investment in community nursing services, along with community matrons, district nurses and specialist nurses.
What’s more, effective preventative measures can have significant long-term gains; such as investing to prevent falls, which can mean people not having to experience an unplanned admission into hospital or into residential care.
There is much to discuss and your involvement is crucial. ‘Big Care Debates’ are being held up and down the Country so please go to the event being held near you - http://careandsupport.direct.gov.uk/
The RCN is looking in detail at the Government’s green paper consultation that closes in early November and as usual will help shape the crucial health decisions that will follow. Members have till the end of October to contribute to our consultation, find out more on the RCN website (www.rcn.org.uk).
Please do contact the RCN to share views with us at policycontacts@rcn.org.uk
Last year we celebrated the 60th birthday of our national health service and now we must turn our attention to ensuring an equally fair and available social care service.
The current framework for adult social care is now widely recognised as confusing and outdated. Patients often find themselves on a ‘revolving door’ between health and social care – the current system needs a radical overhaul.
The Government admits the status quo isn’t good enough. This status quo ranges from more money being taken from those who have saved to a postcode lottery for quality care.
A far greater percentage of the population are now cared for in their own homes, which can only be a positive move. However, many care services in the community remain fragmented. Moving the care of vulnerable people into local areas will require significant investment in community nursing services, along with community matrons, district nurses and specialist nurses.
What’s more, effective preventative measures can have significant long-term gains; such as investing to prevent falls, which can mean people not having to experience an unplanned admission into hospital or into residential care.
There is much to discuss and your involvement is crucial. ‘Big Care Debates’ are being held up and down the Country so please go to the event being held near you - http://careandsupport.direct.gov.uk/
The RCN is looking in detail at the Government’s green paper consultation that closes in early November and as usual will help shape the crucial health decisions that will follow. Members have till the end of October to contribute to our consultation, find out more on the RCN website (www.rcn.org.uk).
Please do contact the RCN to share views with us at policycontacts@rcn.org.uk
Wednesday, 23 September 2009
RCN: Fit for the Future
This week is an important time for the RCN itself. In the next few days our members will receive voting papers from Electoral Reform Services.
Members are being asked to vote on a crucial amendment to the RCN Royal Charter enabling us to change our legal structure and set up our charity as a separate organisation. It’s a small but important change – important because it will ensure that we meet Charity Commission requirements and legislation governing charities.
You may well have heard discussion in the media lately about how the Charity Commission is reviewing organisations such as independent schools which have charitable status. Consequently, RCN Council approached the Commission last year about changing our legal set-up to enable us to meet its requirements whilst ensuring we could carry on business as usual. The Charity Commission has agreed we can proceed on the basis we proposed.
The proposal will not affect the services we offer to our members and will enable our professional and trade union activities to carry on hand in hand as they do now in one organisation. We will, however, have a separate charitable foundation which will fund our charitable activities through grants.
It is very important that our members vote and return their voting paper in plenty of time for the closing date of Monday 26 October, two days in advance of our AGM which is being held at RCN headquarters in London.
More information about the AGM vote can be found on our website at www.rcn.org.uk/agm2009
Members are being asked to vote on a crucial amendment to the RCN Royal Charter enabling us to change our legal structure and set up our charity as a separate organisation. It’s a small but important change – important because it will ensure that we meet Charity Commission requirements and legislation governing charities.
You may well have heard discussion in the media lately about how the Charity Commission is reviewing organisations such as independent schools which have charitable status. Consequently, RCN Council approached the Commission last year about changing our legal set-up to enable us to meet its requirements whilst ensuring we could carry on business as usual. The Charity Commission has agreed we can proceed on the basis we proposed.
The proposal will not affect the services we offer to our members and will enable our professional and trade union activities to carry on hand in hand as they do now in one organisation. We will, however, have a separate charitable foundation which will fund our charitable activities through grants.
It is very important that our members vote and return their voting paper in plenty of time for the closing date of Monday 26 October, two days in advance of our AGM which is being held at RCN headquarters in London.
More information about the AGM vote can be found on our website at www.rcn.org.uk/agm2009
Wednesday, 16 September 2009
The importance of the school nurse...
As anyone who listened to BBC Radio 4’s ‘Case Notes’ yesterday evening http://bit.ly/b4r8d will know, the role of the school nurse has changed dramatically over the last few decades.
We heard how they used to act as ‘hand maids’ whose duties included checking for nits and preparing notes for the onsite doctor.
Their role now could hardly be more different. Today, across the UK, school nurses are leading, not following, and spend their time inoculating, advising and mentoring hundreds of thousand of school children every day.
Whether it’s running sexual health clinics, providing the important immunisations or writing detailed care plans for those with chronic conditions – the school nurse is an essential part of child health.
For those children lucky enough to have easy access to a school nurse, they are an invaluable tool. They can highlight the dangers of alcohol, smoking and obesity at an age where prevention is more powerful than cure.
However, not all children have the access to school nurses that they need or deserve. A recent RCN survey found that two thirds of school nurses felt overstretched and unsupported by their rising workload, and that government targets to increase the numbers of school nurses are unlikely to be met by the deadline next year.
Furthermore, we found that the average school nurse now looks after more than seven schools, with a quarter looking after more than 10. One nurse questioned looked after 26 schools.
The RCN has campaigned for every child to have access to a school nurse and we will continue to do so. The current shortage must be addressed and we mustn’t allow current financial constraints to threaten this investment.
School nurses are the best tool we have in fighting some of the biggest health issues facing our country and we must be bold enough to invest in them now.
We heard how they used to act as ‘hand maids’ whose duties included checking for nits and preparing notes for the onsite doctor.
Their role now could hardly be more different. Today, across the UK, school nurses are leading, not following, and spend their time inoculating, advising and mentoring hundreds of thousand of school children every day.
Whether it’s running sexual health clinics, providing the important immunisations or writing detailed care plans for those with chronic conditions – the school nurse is an essential part of child health.
For those children lucky enough to have easy access to a school nurse, they are an invaluable tool. They can highlight the dangers of alcohol, smoking and obesity at an age where prevention is more powerful than cure.
However, not all children have the access to school nurses that they need or deserve. A recent RCN survey found that two thirds of school nurses felt overstretched and unsupported by their rising workload, and that government targets to increase the numbers of school nurses are unlikely to be met by the deadline next year.
Furthermore, we found that the average school nurse now looks after more than seven schools, with a quarter looking after more than 10. One nurse questioned looked after 26 schools.
The RCN has campaigned for every child to have access to a school nurse and we will continue to do so. The current shortage must be addressed and we mustn’t allow current financial constraints to threaten this investment.
School nurses are the best tool we have in fighting some of the biggest health issues facing our country and we must be bold enough to invest in them now.
Tuesday, 8 September 2009
A response...
I just wanted to write a short note as way of reply to the comments posted on the blog of late.
The stories of poor patient care described here are of course heartbreaking and should never have happened. My point in earlier posts however was that these examples of poor care represent the minority of cases. The vast majority of nurses are good, hardworking and dedicated people.
The stories posted here represent the unacceptable 2% of patients that experience poor care and of course more must be done to reduce that figure further.
Thank you to all those who have posted.
The stories of poor patient care described here are of course heartbreaking and should never have happened. My point in earlier posts however was that these examples of poor care represent the minority of cases. The vast majority of nurses are good, hardworking and dedicated people.
The stories posted here represent the unacceptable 2% of patients that experience poor care and of course more must be done to reduce that figure further.
Thank you to all those who have posted.
Thursday, 3 September 2009
Maternal Mortality
One of the best things about working for an organisation like the RCN is that you get to meet some brilliant people undertaking some very important work.
Yesterday I visited 10 Downing Street to meet with Sarah Brown and other members of the Maternal Mortality campaign team.
Maternal Mortality is a campaign that the RCN has been proud to support and the meeting was very productive and informative. It’s only when you look at the facts surrounding maternal mortality that one realises just what an important topic it is.
Every minute of every day, a woman dies of pregnancy related complications, totalling more than half a million women each year. By the time you’ve read this blog, somewhere in the world a child has been born who will never know their mother.
When I say ‘somewhere in the world’, there’s a 99% chance that the mother will die in a developing country. In sub-Saharan Africa, a mother has a 1 in 8 chance of dying in childbirth; in Western Europe that figure is just 1 in 8000.
Almost half of all women in developing countries deliver their babies without a nurse, midwife or doctor present.
The simple truth is that these figures are an international scandal and we need real action now.
The Maternal Mortality campaign have set themselves a number of key objectives in order to ensure that this problem gets the recognition it deserves. To find out all about the campaign and what it’s calling for, visit the website - www.whiteribbonalliance.org
Please, get involved and support this incredibly important cause.
Yesterday I visited 10 Downing Street to meet with Sarah Brown and other members of the Maternal Mortality campaign team.
Maternal Mortality is a campaign that the RCN has been proud to support and the meeting was very productive and informative. It’s only when you look at the facts surrounding maternal mortality that one realises just what an important topic it is.
Every minute of every day, a woman dies of pregnancy related complications, totalling more than half a million women each year. By the time you’ve read this blog, somewhere in the world a child has been born who will never know their mother.
When I say ‘somewhere in the world’, there’s a 99% chance that the mother will die in a developing country. In sub-Saharan Africa, a mother has a 1 in 8 chance of dying in childbirth; in Western Europe that figure is just 1 in 8000.
Almost half of all women in developing countries deliver their babies without a nurse, midwife or doctor present.
The simple truth is that these figures are an international scandal and we need real action now.
The Maternal Mortality campaign have set themselves a number of key objectives in order to ensure that this problem gets the recognition it deserves. To find out all about the campaign and what it’s calling for, visit the website - www.whiteribbonalliance.org
Please, get involved and support this incredibly important cause.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
