Nurses Host Primary Care Day at the National Assembly for Wales
Published: 23 March 2009
The Royal College of Nursing in Wales is hosting a primary care event at the Senedd on Tuesday ( 24 March 2009) to raise awareness over the provision and development of primary care services in Wales. Chris Franks the Plaid Cymru Assembly Member for South Wales Central is sponsoring the event.
Practice nurses, nurse practitioners and health care assistants from across Wales will participate in the event. The programme will take the form of a "speed dating" style event with tables set up for primary care nurses to discuss their daily work with Assembly Members. Examples will include the role of the practice nurse and access to education (including nurse prescribing); new roles for district nurses; and nurse-led (nurse practitioner) services such as wellbeing centres.
Speaking in advance of the event Susan Thomas, RCN Wales Primary Care Advisor said, "Nurses are central to the successful delivery of primary care and we are calling on the Welsh Assembly Government to increase the number of nurse practitioners in primary care, to reflect the breadth and diversity of patient need. RCN Wales believes that accessible primary health care is vital to the prosperity and wellbeing of the community. New methods of accessing primary care must be developed and it should be a high priority for investment."
Chris Franks AM, said: "I am delighted to host the event in the Senedd. As part of the Welsh government Plaid Cymru is committed to working with health professionals to make the Welsh NHS fit for the 21st century. As an Assembly Member I have visited St. Andrew's Surgery in Tonypandy to experience first hand the skills of practise nurses and GPs. The headlines are usually about new hospitals, or saving hospitals or great medical advances. However a huge amount of vital work is carried out quietly and without fuss by nurses in their communities. I welcome this innovative speed dating event to help Assembly Members understand the important work nurses do in the Welsh NHS."
Helen Lewis, Practice Nurse and RCN member who will attend the event, said: "I am looking forward to this opportunity to discuss my role as a practice nurse with the decision makers and their colleagues within the Welsh Assembly Government. This is such an exciting time to be at the cutting edge of care in Wales and it is no time to be an observer of care but to really embrace the important role played by practice nurses throughout Wales and to have our voices heard."
The Primary Care Gathering in Conference Room 24 on Tuesday 24th March 2009 from noon to 3pm.
The Royal College of Nursing is the world's largest professional body for nurses, representing more than 23,000 nurses, midwives, health visitors, nursing students and health care assistants in Wales. The RCN represents nurses and nursing, promotes excellence in practice and shapes health policies.
For more information, please contact the RCN Wales press office on 029 2075 1373 or 07773367707.