November 06 Newsletter
The Scottish Executive Health Department
Review of Nursing in the Community
November 2006
Visible, Accessible and Integrated Care: the Review of Nursing in the Community
Visible, Accessible and Integrated Care: the Review of Nursing in the Community has now been published. It can be downloaded from
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/153965/0041416.pdf
Mr Kerr, Minister for Health and Community Care described this report and its sister document Delivering Care, Enabling Health as "the most significant reform of the nursing profession for a generation".
Published is the overarching Strategy Delivering Care, Enabling Health which will ensure that nurses midwives and allied health professionals (NMAHPs) play a far bigger role in the delivery of care, while ensuring that caring for, and enabling, patients remains at the heart of modern health services.
The Strategy includes;
- giving NMAHP's a greater role in planning and delivering key health objectives
- underpinning the primacy of caring for, and enabling patients
- reviewing all education programmes for NMAHPs
The proposals in the 'Review of Nursing in the Community,' provides a blueprint for the future of nursing designed to fit in with the changing face of health care in Scotland.
With an increasing emphasis on preventative and community based care, the new approach will give nurses an opportunity to test and develop a new Community Health Nurse Role.
Mr Kerr said:
"In the future I want to see a health service which is aimed at making sure fewer people get ill in the first place and when they do, that they are treated as locally as possible. That will mean an increasingly important role for NMAHP's, and that's why we must update the way the profession works in Scotland.
"In particular, testing and developing the new role of Community Health Nurse will aim to establish a single point of contact for people receiving care in their own homes. This is not about doing away with current practice, it's about building on experience - particularly in relation to delivering public health services. A recent World Health Organisation report has highlighted the success of this approach.
"Finally, I'm particularly pleased the new strategy seeks to enhance nursing's reputation as the caring profession. The job has always been about far more than looking after the sick. The comfort, reassurance, encouragement and enablement to get well, that nurses, midwives and AHPs can provide should never be lost."
Both 'Delivering Care, Enabling Health' and the 'Review of Nursing in the Community' have been drawn up in partnership with staff representatives including the Royal College of Nursing, Amicus, UNISON, Queen's Nursing Institute, Scotland, the Royal College of General Practitioners, NHS Education Scotland and academic heads.
A spokesperson from the Royal College of Nursing said;
"RCN Scotland fully supports the overall theme and direction of Delivering Care, Enabling Health and the Review of Nursing in the Community. Critical to the success of the Review will be the development sites that are now starting to take shape. RCN Scotland looks forward to engaging fully in these and ensuring nurses play a lead role in addressing the health inequalities in Scotland"
The Review was also welcomed by patients and carers with the Coalition of Carers in Scotland saying that we "welcome the Review's focus on supporting carers and recognising them as essential partners in the provision of care."
Paul Martin CNO, added;
"The announcement is about taking traditional values forward and applying them in a modern context. That's why it was vital that we didn't lose sight of the reason NMAHPs are here - to care for, enable, support and comfort the people who use our services. I have no doubt those values will be upheld."
Implementation
The model will be developed in four Board Areas which collectively reflect the diverse nature of Scotland's geography and demography. Experiences and learning from these Development Sites will not only provide information about the efficacy and effectiveness of the model, but also about the whole process of change management. They will provide the opportunity to explore in detail the interfaces between the new model and specialist services, such as children's services.
Family Health Nursing
The final report - WHO Europe Family Health Nursing Pilot in Scotland, Final Report - of the FHN pilot has also now been published and can be accessed at,
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/10/31141146/0
Delivering for Care, Enabling Health can be accessed via the following link http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/152499/0041001.pdf
Project Officers
Project Officers, Helen Morrison and Alison Jarvis, finish their secondments to the Executive in December. Helen returns to NHS Highland and Alison to NHS Lothian. O n behalf of the steering group, we would like to thank all those who contributed to the review process and look forward to working with you and your colleagues to shape and develop the proposals outlined in the report.
For further information
Please email: communitynursingreview@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Or telephone John Waugh on telephone: 0131 244 2817
Alison Jarvis & Helen Morrison
Review of Nursing in the Community
SEHD, Primary Care Division
Regent Road, Edinburgh,
EH1 3DG