Letter from the Editor: Rabina Tindale (Spring 2009)
Published: 18 May 2009
Big changes, and still pushing ahead
A warm welcome to you all. It certainly has been a very busy time for emergency care, with lots of media attention over the months and plenty of activity at the RCN.
My year as forum chair came to an end in January 2009. Jim Bethel has been elected chair for the next year, with Heather Jarman replacing him as vice-chair for the year. Congratulations to them both! I thoroughly enjoyed the year as chair and feel the ECA has had a number of successes.
Our online survey of your views around the four-hour operational standard proved to be a huge accomplishment, the results of which generated significant media attention and raised concerns around patient care versus achieving targets. The work is still ongoing - the ECA is committed to ensuring the views of its membership are heard by the Government - and we will continue to lobby for changes.
In fact, in light of the recent Health Care Commission report into Mid Staffordshire Hospitals Trust, it is vital that the Government listens to our concerns (see our article on the issue). Support goes out to Mid Staffordshire staff - we fully understand the difficulties faced.
On the web and on the campaign trail ...
The ECA was one of the first forums to be involved in the RCN's online communities and, although our website is one of the best, it still has further potential. If you haven't had the opportunity to visit it, please do and give us your suggestions.
For the past year, the ECA has also been privileged to be involved in the RCN's Dignity campaign. This is such an important piece of work and such a key aspect of patient care that we were delighted to work with the Patients Association and produce a ten-point charter. Further details on this can be found in our Dignity article.
Key changes
The RCN has certainly been very busy making a number of changes within its internal structures and processes. One such area has been the Nursing Department and the rationalisation of forums. In order to spend its members' money more efficiently, the RCN took the decision to reduce the number of forums from 75 to 45. Many forums have been merged into larger forums, but the Emergency Care Association is one of the few to have remained a stand-alone forum.
Another key change implemented by the RCN is the move away from the traditional yearly operational plan to regular smaller project bids. Traditionally, each forum at the beginning of the year had to submit an operational plan for the activity planned for the rest of the year, demonstrating the cost and benefit of the activities planned. This then had to be approved and appropriate funding allocated. The changes mean forums will submit project bids four times a year. The ECA views this move as hugely positive - it gives us the flexibility to identify and work on new projects throughout the year, allowing us to engage with the membership, invite people to work on projects they are interested in, and keep an eye on the website for opportunities to be involved in projects as and when they are identified.
Committee vacancies
The ECA currently has two vacancies on its steering committee - calls for nomination will be circulated in the near future. It is looking for front-line nurses who have a passion for their specialty and have the drive to push the emergency care agenda forward. Please feel free to contact any of the existing committee members for further information.