Letters extra - February 2012
Government’s voluntary scheme is not enough
I am pleased that the Government has finally started to acknowledge the need for standards for health care assistants, currently an unregulated workforce.
However, it is not a big enough step. I struggle to understand how the Government can ensure best practice and maximise public protection when the scheme is set to be voluntary.
The Government should spend money more wisely by introducing statutory regulation as it is without doubt the safest and most effective way forward.
Lorraine Hicking-Woodison
By email
Caring people left behind
The fact is that Lisa-Marie Jones [“Trained/untrained: HCA anger over title insult”, Letters and emails, January] is an untrained nurse, so I believe she has to accept this.
There are many excellent health care assistants who are very competent, professional, able and compassionate. They would make excellent nurses given a chance to do their nurse training, if they so wanted.
However, now nurse training is university-based, all they seem to look at is how academic you are and bums on seats to get the money in. This means that caring, compassionate people like Lisa-Marie are left behind and our profession is all the poorer.
Mary Carter
By email
Let’s get back to basics
Cathie Blackwell [“No time to care” Letters and emails, January] puts so perfectly the fact that these days there is much paperwork/documentation/administration being done nurses today that “Time to Care” is an utter nonsense devised to hoodwink the public.
I have worked for my local health authority for the last 36 years without a break in service. Do people like me and others get listened to when we express our concerns and say that it is getting ridiculous?
We really should be getting back to basics in order that care is care, and not just a pen-pushing exercise.
Experience does not count for anything. Disgruntled? Yes, I am and I know I do not stand alone.