ANALYSIS
The government has accepted 281 of the 290 recommendations made by Robert Francis
Response to the
Hunt: ‘A blueprint for restoring trust in the health service’ JOHN HOULIHAN
1. Nurse training will include the practical requirements of compassionate care. Starting next year, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) will strengthen its education standards requiring students to meet all theory and practice requirements, so students will not be able to perform well in one area and poorly in another.
Health secretary Jeremy Hunt
Hospitals will be expected to publish staffing levels on every ward from April, health secretary Jeremy Hunt announced last week. The measure was part of the government’s response to the Robert Francis report into care failings at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust. Launching the response, which runs to almost 400 pages, Mr Hunt described it as a ‘blueprint for restoring trust in the NHS’, adding that he wanted the health service to be the safest, most effective in the world. He also said that the response was ‘the boldest step forward to transparency of any healthcare system in the world’. He revealed that 281 of 290 Francis recommendations have been accepted by the government. As well as the clear commitment on staffing levels, the government wants the name of a nurse to be placed above the bed of every hospital patient. The education and training of nurses features prominently in the response, highlighting work already undertaken by the Nursing and Midwifery Council and universities to
ensure the right candidates go on to be caring and competent nurses. Of the 290 points, 30 apply to nurses (see box). Mr Hunt said: ‘In considering the government’s response, I have had in my mind two contrasting NHS stories – of care and compassion on the one hand and of failure and cover up on the other.’ He added: ‘We need to face up to the hard truths, from excellent to unacceptably poor, about what that system delivers for patients. The response sets out a series of measures that will ensure people know whether hospitals are safe and how well they are led.’ The government wants stronger professional responsibility and to make the system more open about mistakes. The government also focused on consistent training for healthcare support workers (HCSWs) through a Care Certificate. RCN general secretary Peter Carter said: ‘Although we are convinced that the mandatory regulation of all HCSWs is the most effective way of protecting patients, the announcement today is an important first step’ NS
2. Education standards will be reviewed and updated regularly by the NMC to ensure sufficient practical elements are incorporated into nurse training for a consistent national standard to be achieved. 3. There will be a national requirement for aspiring nurses to have pre-degree care experience. Since September, 150 aspiring students have been working as healthcare support workers (HCSWs) for up to one year as part of a pilot project led by Health Education England (HEE). 4. Aspiring nurses will be tested for values on entry to the profession, as specified in an HEE mandate. 5. The government accepts in principle that the NMC and academic bodies should work towards a common qualification or examination. NMC education standards require students to be tested for aptitude in literacy, numeracy and communication skills. 6. The government accepts, in part, the need for national training standards for qualification as a nurse. NHS England endorses the importance of robust mentoring and assessment of nursing students so that only those who are competent are recommended for registration. 7. Nurses will be recruited for their values. NHS England is working with HEE and NHS Employers to support the introduction of values-based recruitment and appraisals for staff.
NURSING STANDARD Nursing Standard 2013.28:14-14. Downloaded from journals.rcni.com by National University of Singapore on 11/27/15. For personal use only.
14 november 27 :: vol 28 no 13 :: 2013
The government has accepted 281 of the 290 recommendations made by Robert Francis
Response to the
Hunt: ‘A blueprint for restoring trust in the health service’ JOHN HOULIHAN
1. Nurse training will include the practical requirements of compassionate care. Starting next year, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) will strengthen its education standards requiring students to meet all theory and practice requirements, so students will not be able to perform well in one area and poorly in another.
Health secretary Jeremy Hunt
Hospitals will be expected to publish staffing levels on every ward from April, health secretary Jeremy Hunt announced last week. The measure was part of the government’s response to the Robert Francis report into care failings at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust. Launching the response, which runs to almost 400 pages, Mr Hunt described it as a ‘blueprint for restoring trust in the NHS’, adding that he wanted the health service to be the safest, most effective in the world. He also said that the response was ‘the boldest step forward to transparency of any healthcare system in the world’. He revealed that 281 of 290 Francis recommendations have been accepted by the government. As well as the clear commitment on staffing levels, the government wants the name of a nurse to be placed above the bed of every hospital patient. The education and training of nurses features prominently in the response, highlighting work already undertaken by the Nursing and Midwifery Council and universities to
ensure the right candidates go on to be caring and competent nurses. Of the 290 points, 30 apply to nurses (see box). Mr Hunt said: ‘In considering the government’s response, I have had in my mind two contrasting NHS stories – of care and compassion on the one hand and of failure and cover up on the other.’ He added: ‘We need to face up to the hard truths, from excellent to unacceptably poor, about what that system delivers for patients. The response sets out a series of measures that will ensure people know whether hospitals are safe and how well they are led.’ The government wants stronger professional responsibility and to make the system more open about mistakes. The government also focused on consistent training for healthcare support workers (HCSWs) through a Care Certificate. RCN general secretary Peter Carter said: ‘Although we are convinced that the mandatory regulation of all HCSWs is the most effective way of protecting patients, the announcement today is an important first step’ NS
2. Education standards will be reviewed and updated regularly by the NMC to ensure sufficient practical elements are incorporated into nurse training for a consistent national standard to be achieved. 3. There will be a national requirement for aspiring nurses to have pre-degree care experience. Since September, 150 aspiring students have been working as healthcare support workers (HCSWs) for up to one year as part of a pilot project led by Health Education England (HEE). 4. Aspiring nurses will be tested for values on entry to the profession, as specified in an HEE mandate. 5. The government accepts in principle that the NMC and academic bodies should work towards a common qualification or examination. NMC education standards require students to be tested for aptitude in literacy, numeracy and communication skills. 6. The government accepts, in part, the need for national training standards for qualification as a nurse. NHS England endorses the importance of robust mentoring and assessment of nursing students so that only those who are competent are recommended for registration. 7. Nurses will be recruited for their values. NHS England is working with HEE and NHS Employers to support the introduction of values-based recruitment and appraisals for staff.
NURSING STANDARD Nursing Standard 2013.28:14-14. Downloaded from journals.rcni.com by National University of Singapore on 11/27/15. For personal use only.
14 november 27 :: vol 28 no 13 :: 2013
