All trusts need to realise the importance of the KSF

But the variable way the KSF has been implemented has meant that many nurses are losing out, and so are their employers and their patients. The issue, which NT has raised, has now been taken up by junior health minister Ann Keen, who has written to all trusts urging them to make implementation of the framework a matter of urgency.

The minister is right. This failure to implement the KSF fully and to ensure every member of the healthcare workforce has access to clear job outlines, personal development reviews and supported development means nurses – and patients – are getting a raw deal.

It is ironic that the minister’s move follows plans in the NHS Next Stage Review to improve nurse training and leadership development and increase support for newly qualified nurses. The government realises that to improve the quality of care for patients, we must improve the quality of nurses and to do so they need support and personal development. It is time that all trusts came to the same realisation.

Have your say in the Healthcare 100

The NT Top 100 best places to work as a nurse has evolved into the Healthcare 100, which we launch today.

Delivered by NT and our sister journal HSJ, with the support of NHS Employers, the Healthcare 100 survey will analyse which healthcare employers are providing the best conditions and opportunities for their staff. There is a specific category for nursing and you need to encourage your employer to enter.

If you think you work in a great place or even if you think there is room for improvement, this is the opportunity for you to take part in an independent assessment, conducted by Ipsos MORI, of where your trust stands in comparison with other employers.

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