NEWS
NICE to develop long-awaited guidance on safe staffing levels By Christian Duffin Moves to develop guidance on safe nurse staffing levels and skill mix – a recommendation of the Francis report into care failings at Mid Staffs – are finally under way. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is tendering for a contractor to produce evidence reviews that will inform its safe staffing guidelines. The advertisements, which appear on the government’s Contracts Finder website, state that the first part of the guidance will be published in July 2014. The creation of guidelines on safe nurse staffing levels follows a recommendation in the Francis report into failings at Stafford Hospital, published in February, which stated that NICE should introduce ‘evidence-based tools’ to help organisations calculate minimum staff numbers and skill mix. In his report, Robert Francis concluded that chronic understaffing contributed to appalling care at the trust between 2005 and 2009.
The government is expected to give its full response to the Francis report next week. The NICE advertisement states: ‘We expect to receive the first guideline topic referral from the Department of Health in November 2013 and anticipate that this will focus on safe nurse staffing levels, including nurse support staff, for adult in-patient wards in the NHS.’ RCN head of policy Howard Catton welcomed the move, but wants the government to apply minimum staffing levels in other sectors of the NHS. ‘We have been waiting for this for a long time,’ he said. ‘This work should be given priority so that guidance is available as soon as possible.’ The RCN has already published recommendations on staffing for older people’s services, and NICE could adopt these in its guidance, said Mr Catton. The Safe Staffing Alliance, made up of directors of nursing, unions and experts, warns that there should be no more than eight patients to one nurse.
‘I am delighted to see that NICE has started work on safe staffing levels,’ said alliance chair Liz Robb. ‘There is already evidence that they can look at. ‘But in the future there will be a need to introduce safe staffing levels in other sectors of health care such as community nursing and mental health.’ In a statement issued to MPs last week, health minister Dan Poulter, who has responsibility for nursing, said: ‘We agree that there is a need for evidence-based guidance and tools to inform appropriate staffing levels. ‘It is not for Whitehall to set one-size-fits-all staffing rules. Instead, we have asked NICE and other nursing experts to review the evidence to help hospitals make the right decisions on staff numbers at a local ward level.’ The minister’s response was to a question on staffing levels by Labour MP for Bolton North East, David Crausby.
Dementia-friendly virtual hospital design revealed Plans for a dementia-friendly ‘virtual hospital’ have been unveiled amid concerns that traditional wards are unsafe for patients with the condition. The University of Stirling’s Dementia Service Development Centre (DSDC) has produced a computerised model to show how hospital design can promote safety and make dementia patients feel more at ease. Users can click on information symbols (pictured) for ideas, including installing an easy to read clock. DSDC director June Andrews, a professor of dementia services, said: ‘Hospitals can be dangerous for people with dementia, but design can help reduce anxiety and improve their experience.’ 10 november 13 :: vol 28 no 11 :: 2013 NURSING STANDARD Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 15, 2015. For personal use only. No other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
NICE to develop long-awaited guidance on safe staffing levels By Christian Duffin Moves to develop guidance on safe nurse staffing levels and skill mix – a recommendation of the Francis report into care failings at Mid Staffs – are finally under way. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is tendering for a contractor to produce evidence reviews that will inform its safe staffing guidelines. The advertisements, which appear on the government’s Contracts Finder website, state that the first part of the guidance will be published in July 2014. The creation of guidelines on safe nurse staffing levels follows a recommendation in the Francis report into failings at Stafford Hospital, published in February, which stated that NICE should introduce ‘evidence-based tools’ to help organisations calculate minimum staff numbers and skill mix. In his report, Robert Francis concluded that chronic understaffing contributed to appalling care at the trust between 2005 and 2009.
The government is expected to give its full response to the Francis report next week. The NICE advertisement states: ‘We expect to receive the first guideline topic referral from the Department of Health in November 2013 and anticipate that this will focus on safe nurse staffing levels, including nurse support staff, for adult in-patient wards in the NHS.’ RCN head of policy Howard Catton welcomed the move, but wants the government to apply minimum staffing levels in other sectors of the NHS. ‘We have been waiting for this for a long time,’ he said. ‘This work should be given priority so that guidance is available as soon as possible.’ The RCN has already published recommendations on staffing for older people’s services, and NICE could adopt these in its guidance, said Mr Catton. The Safe Staffing Alliance, made up of directors of nursing, unions and experts, warns that there should be no more than eight patients to one nurse.
‘I am delighted to see that NICE has started work on safe staffing levels,’ said alliance chair Liz Robb. ‘There is already evidence that they can look at. ‘But in the future there will be a need to introduce safe staffing levels in other sectors of health care such as community nursing and mental health.’ In a statement issued to MPs last week, health minister Dan Poulter, who has responsibility for nursing, said: ‘We agree that there is a need for evidence-based guidance and tools to inform appropriate staffing levels. ‘It is not for Whitehall to set one-size-fits-all staffing rules. Instead, we have asked NICE and other nursing experts to review the evidence to help hospitals make the right decisions on staff numbers at a local ward level.’ The minister’s response was to a question on staffing levels by Labour MP for Bolton North East, David Crausby.
Dementia-friendly virtual hospital design revealed Plans for a dementia-friendly ‘virtual hospital’ have been unveiled amid concerns that traditional wards are unsafe for patients with the condition. The University of Stirling’s Dementia Service Development Centre (DSDC) has produced a computerised model to show how hospital design can promote safety and make dementia patients feel more at ease. Users can click on information symbols (pictured) for ideas, including installing an easy to read clock. DSDC director June Andrews, a professor of dementia services, said: ‘Hospitals can be dangerous for people with dementia, but design can help reduce anxiety and improve their experience.’ 10 november 13 :: vol 28 no 11 :: 2013 NURSING STANDARD Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 15, 2015. For personal use only. No other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
