'Lansley must listen to nurses on the front line' OPINION
'I urge you to discuss the proposed reforms with your nursing colleagues'
Chief nursing officer, Christine Beasley, fastens her seatbelt as the changes to reform the NHS, social care and the department of health speed up into 2011 …
The health and social care bill sets out in detail the systems that will be needed for patients and staff to achieve quality, patient-led services with an emphasis on improved health outcomes.
With all of the commentary in the media about what this may mean for patients and those who work in the health and social care systems, this can be a confusing and bewildering time.
There are a number of sources of information from professional organisations, patient groups and royal colleges, which provide their own interpretations about the proposed changes to the system as a whole. However, I would recommend the DH website as an up-to-date source of news, information, and resources on the reforms.
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I can empathise with nurses and midwives who have busy working lives and may find it a challenge to find the time to keep up to date. However, I do urge you to find opportunities to discuss the proposed reforms with colleagues and take a fresh look to see where nurses and midwives can work with other colleagues to start shaping new ways of working and developing a common dialogue.
People tell us they want to be treated as individuals, to be partners in care and to have choice. Through their everyday interactions with the people they care for, nurses and midwives are very well placed to see where more personalised care can be organised and where people can gain more control of their health and managing their health problems.
One of the many other key attributes of the profession is the ability to make links with other professionals and agencies to help provide joined-up care.
This ability to influence and collaborate will be invaluable as GP consortia and health and wellbeing boards are established. I mentioned earlier about taking a fresh look and I feel very confident that nurses and midwives, through strong and local leadership, will find new opportunities to focus on their contribution in order to fully realise the best outcomes for people in their communities.
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Readers' comments (1)
DH Agent - as if ! | 18-Feb-2011 2:28 pm
I believe that most people understand this: 'People tell us they want to be treated as individuals, to be partners in care and to have choice.'
But it should be obvious, that during EoLC within a patient's home, the patient will probably discuss his 'feelings about death' - and in particular, his reasons for refusing any future CPR attempts if he reaches the 'On balance, I'd be happier to not wake up tomorrow' point, with his relatives, before explaining his decision to any of the clinicians. It is 'not upsetting my family, with my 'let me die in peace' decision', which a patient will probably be concerned about.
All relatives, for death at home, are active, not passive as clinical guidance usually implies, and they are the persons best-placed to ensure that a patient's wishes are carried out. Properly 'joined-up' care needs to 'join up' the professionals and a patient's family, something which seems to be 'going missing' because of issues of 'proof and responsibility'.
It would help, if clinicians would start from the law itself, and not from their own clinical guidance !
Nurses, provided they are told to openly discuss things with relatives, are ideally placed to make certain that an atmosphere of 'mutual trust' is created when a patient wishes to die at home - but this does require full and open communication.
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