Congress 2008 highlights - Tuesday
A lost generation
Congress agreed to ask RCN Council to press the Government to end the scandal where young children are expected to be the main carer for a dependent parent or sibling. Proposing the resolution, Paul Wainwright of the Ethics Forum gave Congress some figures showing that many thousands of children in this country find themselves in this position. Read the full report of this resolution.
The NHS at 60 ― what next?
Mike Smith of the Sutton and Merton Branch invited delegates to debate on the future of the NHS as it celebrates its 60th birthday. He asked if the NHS was fit for purpose or if the advance in health care will make it obsolete by 2068.
Philip McCaffrey said that people are healthier and living longer than ever before and that we should recognise that this is a reflection of the standard of care provided by the NHS. Read the full report of this discussion.
Stop-watch care
Lisa Falconer, of Lothian branch, introduced a matter for discussion on the pros and cons of the Department of Health's target stipulating that no patient should have to wait more than four hours for admission to a bed, transfer elsewhere or discharge.
She said all four UK countries were now behind this target. But she wondered whether this was prompting clinical decisions that were not in the best interests of the patient. 'Has the clock become more important than the clinical process?' she said. Read the full report of this discussion.