Greetings from the District Nurse Forum

Published: 07 January 2013

Forum Chair Kay Durrant writes on Christmas Eve

I am writing as 2012 ends and as with everyone at this time of the year looking back as well as forward.

The steering group has been very busy on Forum members’ behalf, but I have to apologise for not letting you know. The group, and myself in particular, has been remiss at reporting via the website page. The steering group members are all fighting the cause of district nursing in their local areas as well as nationally, so updating all members have been slightly fragmented over the last couple of months.

The steering group has been continuing to work on your behalf with the RCN on its position paper on district nursing. This was delayed due to the retirement of Lynn Young, but has been picked up in later months by Ami David, who has worked in very senior posts in both the health service and education. The publication should be ready by late January and there will be a launch by the organisation. We are looking for local events at which to show case this very important document, and if you can help in anyway, please do get in contact with the Steering group.

A steering group meeting took place in September and set its objectives for the forth coming year. Central to this was raising the profile of the district nurse. Apart from the position paper, it was decided to try and get the profession on as many agendas as possible at Congress in April 2013. I am really pleased to say that the forum has been successful in having two fringe events accepted. These will be looking at measuring quality in district nursing and the role of the service in safeguarding, focusing upon care homes. Two items have been put forward for discussion, one looking at the title of the District Nurse and its relevance today, and another which is hoped to be a resolution asking whether the qualification is still needed today.

The steering group is looking at how it can promote the role more widely to the public after Congress. However, it seems that TV companies may have beaten us to it. In January a new documentary series starts on 3 January called “Caring in the home” which focuses upon district nurses in the Bath area, and later in the year a new drama documentary series also has a district nurse as its central character.

Nationally, it has been a good year for the profession in that at last the Department of Health has decided to look at this field of practice and some early work has been completed on describing the work of district nurses, primarily aimed at new Clinical Commissioning Groups. In addition, some health authorities have decided to look at nursing in the community and how it reflects the “6 Cs” of Jane Cummings, Chief Nursing Officer for England.

The steering group welcomed a new member this year in the shape of Helen Ballinger from the Gloucestershire region, a great gain with lots of knowledge particularly around practice education. Candice Pellet continues to speak on behalf of the profession on the prime minister’s steering group on quality in nursing.

So, what lies ahead for community nurses in 2013? Staff shortages, efficiency savings, lack of leadership and managers, a reduction in quality, patients at risk, introduction of the private sector, tendering of services, down grading and redundancy come all too easily to mind if thinking back to 2012. But could it also be opportunities to truly define district nursing for the first time? Could it be a re-focus of resources into community settings? Could it be recognition at last that the DH’s agenda in the community cannot be delivered without you? Let’s hope so.

I write this on Christmas Eve hoping that all Forum members and our colleagues in all community teams have a calmer, happier, more fulfilled 2013 – the year of the district nurse.

A Merry Christmas to you all from Kay, Chair, and the rest of the steering group.