RCN responds to NHS Future Forum report

Published: 10 January 2012

The Royal College of Nursing today responded to the NHS Future Forum report. Dr Peter Carter, Chief Executive & General Secretary said:

"We welcome this report and are pleased that many of our recommendations have been taken forward. The NHS Future Forum have clearly looked in detail at nurse education, public health and regulation and this is encouraging."

Commenting on proposals for clinicians to make more interventions over lifestyle issues such as diet, alcohol, smoking and exercise, Dr Carter said:
 
"Preventing ill health is, and should be, one of the key aims of the NHS as a whole and the staff who work in it. Not only does focussing on prevention improve the quality of life of many people, it also saves the NHS money at a time when resources are already extremely scarce. The RCN recognises that nurses have a crucial role to play in preventing problems from developing in the first place, and intervening early before major damage is done.  However, messages alone will not work, it will need strong leadership to evoke a cultural change to the way that the NHS has previously been seen.   The Government would be well advised to look at awareness raising campaigns and other means of improving education around what constitutes a healthy lifestyle.
 
“Equally, the right services must be in place to refer patients onto, with specialist staff to support lifestyle changes .  With more than 56,000 posts at risk in the NHS and nurses who tell us every day that low staffing levels mean they can't do as much for their patients as they would wish, the Government must act fast to boost the public health workforce.”
 
Commenting on the proposals around nurse education, Dr Peter Carter said:
“The Forum has recognised that nurses must be able to update and develop their practice throughout their careers, and that there is recognition of the importance of protecting education and training budgets. It is crucial that this money is used for its desired purpose.  We would also very much welcome the moves to commission training places in partnership with employers and to ensure staff are trained and ready to work in new ways, such as in the community as well as in acute hospitals. These improvements in education must go hand in hand with changes in the regulation of the whole health workforce, and we are disappointed that the RCN's call for the regulation of healthcare assistants has not been taken forward."

ENDS
 
Notes for 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.