I am sending this email in response to the published email in the Bulletin on page 6 of the April 2013 issue. The title is ‘End of LD nursing?
May I begin by expressing my deep disappointment at the way this email has been presented in the Bulletin. Whilst I fully support free speech, I do feel that the title and content of this email should not have just been printed without a reply from the RCN link person for LD, Ann Norman, as a minimum.
The views of Christine Smith represent her own experience. But the field of learning disability is as strong as it always has been. Our students report that they are much more successful at getting jobs than their adult nurse colleagues – due to numbers cuts etc.
Whilst I would agree that LD as a field has always been marginalised in many ways, the truly inspiring work of LDnurse.com, the Strengthening the Commitment report and the fabulous Positive Choices goes against everything printed in this email you have published.
Above all, what is more upsetting and disappointing is that as a union (who has many LD nurse members), you have chosen to publish such an inflammatory title. I personally think this is very irresponsible and would hope that in the next Bulletin an apology and room of reply to this email is permitted and run.