Sadly this will be my last newsletter as I step down having completed nine years on the committee. I have seen enormous changes both within the RCN and in the development and delivery of outpatient services during those years.
Outpatient nurses are leading and developing innovative roles in nurse-led clinics and working in departments that are seen as the flagships of their organisations. We have seen more collaboration between primary care, acute hospitals and the independent sector to redesign care pathways and ensure that all our patients have access to high quality care. However we must not rest on our laurels; the current economic climate is going to challenge all of us to ensure that our services remain and continue to flourish.
Over the past six months the restructuring of the forums has been uppermost in our minds. It has been a frustrating and challenging experience at times but there is light at the end of the tunnel as we near the end of the process. Whilst we have emerged relatively unscathed we have had to get to grips with new ways of working in how we get projects and pieces of work we want to do agreed.
Following our conference last year, many of you said that you wanted more information on how to develop and write business cases and information on what nurse-led clinics are running across the country in order to share knowledge and experiences of setting up such services. The committee have now had agreement to take this work forward over the coming months and hope to share progress at our conference in February.
Looking ahead
The forum has been quiet of late as we concentrated on securing the continued future of the committee. I am delighted that with our four new committee members we now have representatives from all four countries of the UK and the Isle of Man as a bonus! They all bring an enormous amount of experience and expertise to the forum. You can find out more about them by reading their nominations statements.
I am not the only committee member stepping down. Judith Carter has been on the committee over 8 years and has played a pivotal role in COPSIG - Children in Outpatients Specialist Interest Group. Judith has worked tirelessly to ensure that the committee has been briefed on the needs of children accessing outpatient services and we are indebted to her for her commitment and enthusiasm and she will be sorely missed.
On a personal note I would like to thank all the committee for their friendship and support over the 8 years but particularly over the last 12 months whilst holding the fort as chair. I now handover the reins to Joanne Quinn confident that the future of the forum is secure. I wish you all the success for the future.