RCN welcomes major step forward for learning disability nursing

Published: 27 April 2012

The RCN has welcomed a report published this week by the four Chief Nursing Officers across the United Kingdom.

Strengthening the Commitment sets out the challenges and the work needed to ensure that there are enough learning disability nurses to provide high quality care for people with learning disabilities.

RCN Chief Executive & General Secretary Dr Peter Carter said: “A fundamental duty of the NHS is to treat everyone as equals, yet people with learning disabilities are regularly being let down because of a lack of specialist learning disability nurses on the ground. As such, we welcome today’s report. However, the real test will now be in how services are improved and if enough learning disability nurses are recruited to prevent what could become an even greater crisis in learning disabilities care.”

Janice Smyth, Director of the RCN in Northern Ireland Director said: “The RCN welcomed the recent DHSSPS consultation on a learning disability service framework for Northern Ireland. However, there is still a need to consider whether we have enough learning disability nurses in Northern Ireland to provide the standard and type of care envisaged by this new service framework.

"In common with the wider nursing workforce, the number of learning disability nurses in Northern Ireland has fallen over the last two years. This does not inspire confidence in the capacity of the workforce to meet the growing, evolving and increasingly complex needs of people with a learning disability, their families and carers in Northern Ireland.

"The ageing profile of nurses working in learning disability also needs to be addressed and this is why we welcome the Chief Nursing Officer’s statement in support of this report. We look forward to working with the DHSSPS to ensure that people with learning disabilities have access to appropriately skilled nurses and the services they need.”

Strengthening the Commitment is available at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2012/04/6465.