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10/03/2009
Commission Of Experts To Improve Quality Of Patient Care
A new Commission of Experts to advise the Government on the future role of nurses and midwives will be announced by the Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Health Secretary Alan Johnson today.
The Prime Minister's Commission on the Future of Nursing and Midwifery will build on the existing work identified in Lord Darzi's report High Quality Care for All and consider how nurses can further improve safety, champion high quality patient care and give nurses and midwives more freedom to manage, commission and run their own services. All branches of nursing and midwifery will be considered including health visitors, mental health and learning disability nurses and paediatric nurses.
Health Secretary Alan Johnson said: "As society has changed, so has healthcare. This is particularly true of the traditional roles of nurses and midwives. Nurses now have more powers to make real, tangible improvements on wards, in GP centres and in the community. They have taken on far greater responsibility in clinical care, developing their skills as leaders and managers.
"With the focus for the NHS centred on quality, now is a good time to consider how we build on these expanding roles. The Commission will bring a wealth of personal experience to bear in order to ensure that we can enable nurses to deliver a world-class services in every aspect of the NHS."
Welcoming the Commission, Karen Jennings, UNISON Head of Health, also commented: "The patient remains at the heart of nurses' and midwives' work, but the way they do their jobs, and the responsibilities they bear, have changed dramatically over the last few years.
"We need the nursing and midwifery family armed with the skills and knowledge to tackle the challenges of the future. Who better to ask than the people doing the job for better ways to deliver advanced nursing practice? The Commission will provide a much needed way of harvesting the wealth of ideas and experience that these nursing experts bring to the profession."
The Commission will consult with the profession, patients and the public over the coming months in a series of events to take place around the country.
They will report to the Prime Minister by March 2010.
(JM/BmcC)
The Prime Minister's Commission on the Future of Nursing and Midwifery will build on the existing work identified in Lord Darzi's report High Quality Care for All and consider how nurses can further improve safety, champion high quality patient care and give nurses and midwives more freedom to manage, commission and run their own services. All branches of nursing and midwifery will be considered including health visitors, mental health and learning disability nurses and paediatric nurses.
Health Secretary Alan Johnson said: "As society has changed, so has healthcare. This is particularly true of the traditional roles of nurses and midwives. Nurses now have more powers to make real, tangible improvements on wards, in GP centres and in the community. They have taken on far greater responsibility in clinical care, developing their skills as leaders and managers.
"With the focus for the NHS centred on quality, now is a good time to consider how we build on these expanding roles. The Commission will bring a wealth of personal experience to bear in order to ensure that we can enable nurses to deliver a world-class services in every aspect of the NHS."
Welcoming the Commission, Karen Jennings, UNISON Head of Health, also commented: "The patient remains at the heart of nurses' and midwives' work, but the way they do their jobs, and the responsibilities they bear, have changed dramatically over the last few years.
"We need the nursing and midwifery family armed with the skills and knowledge to tackle the challenges of the future. Who better to ask than the people doing the job for better ways to deliver advanced nursing practice? The Commission will provide a much needed way of harvesting the wealth of ideas and experience that these nursing experts bring to the profession."
The Commission will consult with the profession, patients and the public over the coming months in a series of events to take place around the country.
They will report to the Prime Minister by March 2010.
(JM/BmcC)
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:A showery start with outbreaks most frequent north of Lough Neagh and through the morning, before dwindling during the afternoon as the northwest breezes ease and brighter spells of weak sunshine prosper. Maximum temperature 8 °C.Tonight:A dry night, save for a few light showers around the coasts, with prolonged clear spells and light winds bringing a frosty dawn for many in central and southern parts. Minimum temperature -3 °C.
