News
THE NURSING and Midwifery Council (NMC) has set up a strategic advisory group made up of more than 20 senior nurses from across the UK. The NMC said the aim of the group, which includes directors of nursing and academics, is to give its council a chance to ‘engage with senior registrants, and share insights and information about strategic developments’. At present, only half of the NMC’s 12-strong council has a nursing background. Chief executive Jackie Smith has a legal background, while NMC chair Mark Addison has held senior positions in the civil service. The senior registrants strategic advisory group will be asked to give guidance to the NMC council on whether proposals and initiatives are fit for purpose. It will also give updates to colleagues in their own fields about the work of the NMC, and advise the regulator on how to communicate effectively with the register.
Study finds friends and family test fails to ‘match ambitions’ PICKER INSTITUTE Europe has published research showing the NHS friends and family test to be ‘not fit for purpose’. The research suggests that the use of varying collection methods and demographic factors skew the data, making meaningful comparison between organisations impossible. Researchers investigated the effects of patients’ age and sex and how the survey is carried out, for example on paper, via kiosks, telephone, or text message. Director of research and policy at Picker Institute Europe Chris Graham said: ‘The test was intended to be a simple means of assessing and comparing services, allowing patients to make informed choices. Our research shows it does not match these ambitions.’ The analysis was published as NHS England prepared to announce ‘the next NURSING MANAGEMENT
Neil O’Connor
Nurse director group to offer regulator strategic support
Pooling resources to boost fluid intake among patients NURSES IN Worcestershire have been spreading the message to patients about the dangers of dehydration. The Stay Hydrated, Stay Healthy campaign lets people know that good fluid intake can prevent unnecessary hospital admission. Information was given out in hospital receptions across the county to launch the campaign. Deputy executive nurse and deputy for patient safety at Redditch and Bromsgrove, and Wyre Forest, clinical step towards expanding the test to all NHS services’, with guidance for use by all providers of NHS-funded services. Find out more To read the research, published in the Journal of Health Services Research and Policy, go to tinyurl.com/oca2ztb The NHS England guidance is at tinyurl.com/k5h7wcd
Equality standard to examine employers on career opportunities HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS in the NHS will need to demonstrate they are improving career opportunities for nurses from black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds, under NHS England proposals. NHS England’s equality and diversity council, chaired by chief executive Simon
commissioning groups Catherine Whitehouse said: ‘When people are admitted to hospital, they can experience complications in their care if they are dehydrated.’ Ms Whitehouse, pictured right with infection prevention nurse Josie McHale-Owen, added: ‘There are many things people can do, for example, drinking water throughout the day and eating more fruit and vegetables.’ ■ For more information on the campaign, go to tinyurl.com/mzmng5w Stevens, has developed the proposals for a national workforce race equality standard. If introduced, the standard will come into force in April 2015. It will require organisations employing almost all of the 1.4 million NHS workforce to show their progress on several indicators of workforce equality, including how they are addressing low levels of BME staff at board level. The indicators are likely to use data from the NHS Staff Survey and locally collected workforce statistics, an NHS England spokesperson said. ■ The Care Quality Commission, Public Health England and other healthcare organisations have agreed to work jointly to improve career opportunities for staff from BME backgrounds. The move follows publication of Explaining Levels of Wellbeing in BME Populations in England. To access the report, go to tinyurl.com/nvapn4m September 2014 | Volume 21 | Number 5
Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 28, 2015. For personal use only. No other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
7
THE NURSING and Midwifery Council (NMC) has set up a strategic advisory group made up of more than 20 senior nurses from across the UK. The NMC said the aim of the group, which includes directors of nursing and academics, is to give its council a chance to ‘engage with senior registrants, and share insights and information about strategic developments’. At present, only half of the NMC’s 12-strong council has a nursing background. Chief executive Jackie Smith has a legal background, while NMC chair Mark Addison has held senior positions in the civil service. The senior registrants strategic advisory group will be asked to give guidance to the NMC council on whether proposals and initiatives are fit for purpose. It will also give updates to colleagues in their own fields about the work of the NMC, and advise the regulator on how to communicate effectively with the register.
Study finds friends and family test fails to ‘match ambitions’ PICKER INSTITUTE Europe has published research showing the NHS friends and family test to be ‘not fit for purpose’. The research suggests that the use of varying collection methods and demographic factors skew the data, making meaningful comparison between organisations impossible. Researchers investigated the effects of patients’ age and sex and how the survey is carried out, for example on paper, via kiosks, telephone, or text message. Director of research and policy at Picker Institute Europe Chris Graham said: ‘The test was intended to be a simple means of assessing and comparing services, allowing patients to make informed choices. Our research shows it does not match these ambitions.’ The analysis was published as NHS England prepared to announce ‘the next NURSING MANAGEMENT
Neil O’Connor
Nurse director group to offer regulator strategic support
Pooling resources to boost fluid intake among patients NURSES IN Worcestershire have been spreading the message to patients about the dangers of dehydration. The Stay Hydrated, Stay Healthy campaign lets people know that good fluid intake can prevent unnecessary hospital admission. Information was given out in hospital receptions across the county to launch the campaign. Deputy executive nurse and deputy for patient safety at Redditch and Bromsgrove, and Wyre Forest, clinical step towards expanding the test to all NHS services’, with guidance for use by all providers of NHS-funded services. Find out more To read the research, published in the Journal of Health Services Research and Policy, go to tinyurl.com/oca2ztb The NHS England guidance is at tinyurl.com/k5h7wcd
Equality standard to examine employers on career opportunities HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS in the NHS will need to demonstrate they are improving career opportunities for nurses from black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds, under NHS England proposals. NHS England’s equality and diversity council, chaired by chief executive Simon
commissioning groups Catherine Whitehouse said: ‘When people are admitted to hospital, they can experience complications in their care if they are dehydrated.’ Ms Whitehouse, pictured right with infection prevention nurse Josie McHale-Owen, added: ‘There are many things people can do, for example, drinking water throughout the day and eating more fruit and vegetables.’ ■ For more information on the campaign, go to tinyurl.com/mzmng5w Stevens, has developed the proposals for a national workforce race equality standard. If introduced, the standard will come into force in April 2015. It will require organisations employing almost all of the 1.4 million NHS workforce to show their progress on several indicators of workforce equality, including how they are addressing low levels of BME staff at board level. The indicators are likely to use data from the NHS Staff Survey and locally collected workforce statistics, an NHS England spokesperson said. ■ The Care Quality Commission, Public Health England and other healthcare organisations have agreed to work jointly to improve career opportunities for staff from BME backgrounds. The move follows publication of Explaining Levels of Wellbeing in BME Populations in England. To access the report, go to tinyurl.com/nvapn4m September 2014 | Volume 21 | Number 5
Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 28, 2015. For personal use only. No other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
7
