This week, we have been celebrating the role of community nursing staff. Those of you working in community nursing touch lives at every stage, from caring for newborns and parents in the community, to giving end-of-life care. And it is so important to recognise and value that work.  

When I started at the RCN, my career had been mainly in hospitals, but it's been through my work at the RCN that I've truly seen the vital role that community and district nurses play. It’s been a privilege to learn about and champion these important areas of nursing. And it’s another example of the breadth of the nursing profession that the RCN represents, shapes and supports.  

And it’s clear that governments across the UK are beginning to recognise the value and impact that community nursing has. In its 10-Year Health Plan for England the UK government says it wants nursing staff to lead the crucial shift from hospital to community, in the shape of a new neighbourhood health service. A commitment from Scottish government to shift the balance of care from hospitals to the community, was included in an NHS Scotland operational improvement plan published this year. While in Northern Ireland, the development of a neighbourhood centred system of care is central to the Department of Health’s recently published health and social care reset plan. And in Wales, we have recently welcomed the Welsh Government’s commitment of £30m to strengthen community-based social care and support services.  

These are all positive signs, and I have been clear that any shifts from hospital to community must be nurse led. But to make those commitments a reality, investment in the nursing profession is vital - to grow our registered nurse workforce, especially in crucial community roles. That way, nursing can be front and centre of the future of health care services across the UK. 

In our report published today, we are raising the alarm on behalf of our members that proposed cuts to Integrated Care Boards will result in reductions to care services and put the 10-Year Health Plan for England at risk. We must ensure that nursing roles are not lost under the guise of cost-saving, and that all Integrated Care Boards retain a Chief Nursing Officer for their vital role in shaping key decisions relating to patient safety, service configuration and cost-effectiveness.  

You spoke out through our recent pay consultations, and those results highlight how undervalued you feel by governments. The value of nursing is being degraded. Together we need to change that, in the NHS and across health and social care.   

Negotiations between unions and the UK government must address the issues that are keeping nursing weighted to the bottom.   

Only negotiations can unlock the wider reform of NHS pay you need and push beyond annual awards. Your pay must recognise your value, and the safety critical role of nursing to protect patients in every setting. Patients need the UK government to invest in us - so your skills and responsibilities are rewarded fairly, for all the hours you work.   

A further issue we want to see clear and decisive action on is the recent RCN research revealing the shocking rise of violence towards nursing staff. It’s unacceptable that dedicated and hard-working nursing staff face rising violent attacks because of systemic failures that are no fault of their own. While our research covered England, I know this is a problem across the UK - one of our members was interviewed on BBC Wales this week about their experiences. Ministers and trust leaders must acknowledge the key underlying causes - unless they take action on lengthy waits, corridor care and understaffed nursing teams, more nursing staff will become victims of this utterly abhorrent behaviour. Nursing staff must work in a safe environment as an absolute non-negotiable.  

I’ve been hearing directly from a number of our nursing students about the shortage of jobs when you graduate. So the UK Government’s recent announcement on new measures to tackle graduates’ concerns around job availability in England is welcome. Our student members have led the way in calling for ministers and health care leaders across the UK to provide certainty and clarity on jobs. This announcement should provide hope to students as they come towards the end of their education and training. But the proof will very much be in the pudding and we will be paying close attention to how this work develops and holding the UK government to account on their promises. 

Whistleblowing has been in the news this week. Ruth Thompson, Associate Director for RCN Northern Ireland was interviewed on BBC Radio Ulster about a whistleblower who resigned from the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children over staff shortages who has said the system left her broken, disillusioned and burnt out. If you choose to speak up for patient safety, our article explains your rights and how you are protected.