RCN responds to news that polyclinics will employ “a nurse-led model of care”
Published: 04 February 2009
Commenting on a Pulse story suggesting that polyclinics are employing a “radical new model of care relying heavily on nurses”, where nurses could outnumber GPs by three to one, Dr Peter Carter, Chief Executive & General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said:
“This is not about recruiting nurses instead of GPs. Establishing the correct balance of doctors and nurses to work in partnership is central to providing the best possible care. The important point is that the collective skill-set of the healthcare professionals working in a polyclinic matches the care needs of the patients they treat.
“Patients value the exceptional care provided by nurses at a local level, and other nurse-led initiatives, such as NHS walk-in centres, are highly valued by the general public. In polyclinics, nurses will be able to offer community-based services to an even greater number of patients.
“However, nurses will only be able to provide this high quality care if the Government invests in more community nurses to deliver care closer to home.”
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Notes to Editors
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Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is the voice of nursing across the UK and is the largest professional union of nursing staff in the world. The RCN promotes the interest of nurses and patients on a wide range of issues and helps shape healthcare policy by working closely with the UK Government and other national and international institutions, trade unions, professional bodies and voluntary organisations.