24 Voice at the top
Resolution submitted by the RCN Fertility Nurses Group
That this meeting of RCN Congress urges Council to lobby government to ensure that nursing has strategic input to all bodies concerned with health regulation and policy development
- Work led by the Public Policy Committee with input from the Nursing Development Committee and Membership, Representation and Diversity Committee
- Lead RCN Council member: Jane McCready
Since the Congress debate, a working group has been focusing on several linked themes. ‘Arms-length’ bodies across the UK which have a health and social care remit have been identified. In total, 22 organisations were identified, nine of which have nurses explicitly amongst their membership. Six bodies had a specific remit for Scotland and all have nurse membership, one in Wales has nurse representation, and there was one body in Northern Ireland, which does not have nurse representation.
The group explored how the RCN engages with nurses in senior roles, and also looked at the provision of guidance to identify the ‘added value’ that the nursing voice brings to the top table.
In England the RCN launched its Fresh start initiative. Workshops, inviting senior nurses to discuss how the RCN can support them in their roles and enable the senior voice of nursing to influence at a national level, have been taking place in every English region.
Excellent regular communications already exist between RCN Northern Ireland and the Directors of Nursing in Northern Ireland. The relationship has been extended further with the inauguration of RCN Northern Ireland’s evening master class events which engage nurse leaders and other health service leaders on strategic nursing and health care issues.
In Scotland, the RCN Scotland Director has been involved in meetings with a group of NHS directors to discuss health, policy and work in progress. Meetings have been held with core groups of clinical leaders and discussions are taking place to review the future direction and development of leadership. A mental health nursing seminar is planned for December 2008, and a seminar on the devolution of health and its consequences will be held in the early 2008.
RCN Wales has a seat on several senior strategic groups and meets regularly with the Minister for Health and Social Services, senior civil servants and political parties. RCN Wales has called for a strengthening of the statutory role of the CNO office and next year, as part of its Get it Right campaign, will review ways to ensure a nursing role is present in all NHS commissioning arrangements.
Throughout the year the RCN facilitated a number of leadership development programmes across the UK and will continue to support the development of leadership capabilities next year. Over the next few months the working group will write guidance on the ‘added value’ of the nursing voice to support nurses lobbying for the inclusion of nurses in key health and social care decision-making bodies.