Peter Carter joins expert group to review the nurse and midwife role

Published: 10 March 2009

RCN Chief Executive & General Secretary, Dr Peter Carter, has joined a new key group which will advise the Government on the future role of nurses and midwives in England. The RCN says that nurses and health care assistants have been central to the improvements made to the NHS in recent years and this is reflected in the formation of the group.

Building on the report, High Quality Care for All, the group entitled the Prime Minister's Commission on the Future of Nursing and Midwifery, will review safety, champion high quality patient care and look at giving nurses and midwives more freedom to manage, commission and run their own services. The review will include all branches of nursing and midwifery.

Dr Peter Carter said that the RCN was looking forward to working with the Government and added:

“Nurses and health care assistants have been central to the vast improvements in the NHS over recent years and the existence of this Commission is recognition of just that. This is the group of health professionals that spends more time with patients than any other, therefore nurses know what's needed to deliver high quality patient care.

Lord Darzi's Review has laid a blueprint for radically improving patient care and this Commission will outline many of the next steps that the NHS needs to take. “

The Commission, chaired by Ann Keen, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health, will undertake a wide ranging consultation before reporting to the Prime Minister by March 2010.