NEWS
Anger at letter asking for extended healthcare services at no extra cost By Katie Osborne
@NS_reporter
Health unions have reacted with fury after the government asked the NHS Pay Review Body (RB) to look at extending healthcare services to seven days a week, at no extra cost. At present many healthcare services, such as GP practices, only operate five days a week. At weekends tests carried
out in hospitals cannot be authorised because consultants are not at work, and patient discharges are delayed because hospital staff cannot contact GPs and district nurses. NHS England is working on plans to make the same level of healthcare available seven days a week. In a letter to the RB, health minister Dan Poulter said there was a strong
Paulette Lewis (left) with Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust deputy chief nurse Yinglen Butt, who she coached
case for seven-day health services on the grounds of patient safety and quality of patient care. He asked RB to comment on the proposal. ‘For 2015/16 the RB is asked to make observations on the barriers and enablers with the Agenda for Change (AfC) pay system, for delivering health services every day of the week in a financially sustainable way, that means without increasing the existing spend,’ says the letter. But unions, including Unite, Unison and the RCN, have slammed the government for what they say is a deliberately provocative attack on hard-working nurses.
BARNEY NEWMAN
‘Empty rhetoric’
COACHING WOULD BENEFIT CAREERS All nurses should have a life coach or mentor to help them develop confidence and improve their career prospects, according to a former director of nursing. Speaking at the RCN Bulletin Jobs Fair in London last week, Paulette Lewis, who has worked in the NHS for more than 30 years, said lack of confidence and self-esteem could block nurses from reaching their full potential. She said life coaches or mentors help challenge negative beliefs and provide positive guidance and advice on how to have a successful career. ‘Self-confidence is at the heart of all high performers and successful people,’
she said. ‘There are some fantastic nurses out there, but they lack confidence and are therefore not shining bright. ‘A coach can help nurses recognise their strengths and their weaknesses, as well as helping to eliminate their fear of the unknown.’ More than 2,000 nurses attended the jobs fair, held over two days at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London. Dozens of potential employers were exhibiting at the event and many were conducting on-the-spot interviews and giving conditional job offers to candidates. For further information on coaching go to tiny.cc/coaching_register
RCN general secretary Peter Carter said: ‘This is an attack. It adds insult to injury and shows the government’s declared support for the NHS is nothing but empty rhetoric. ‘Earlier this year the government ignored a recommendation from the RB to pay all NHS staff an increase of 1 per cent. Now it is asking the RB to look at how healthcare services can be delivered every day of the week at no extra cost – something that can only be achieved by nurses and healthcare assistants working more night shifts and weekends for no additional or reduced pay.’ Unite head of health Rachael Maskell said the move was a clear attempt by the government to squeeze nurses even more: ‘It is not the RB’s job to change staff terms and conditions,’ she said. ‘That is the job of the NHS staff council because it comes under AfC. ‘This government has made a calculated decision to target nurses, who they believe will not fight back. This is the latest in a long list of cuts and our members are angry. They cannot take any more. They are stretched, stressed and tired of these tactics.’
8 september 10from :: volRCNi.com 29 no 2 ::by2014 STANDARD Downloaded ${individualUser.displayName} on Dec 03, 2015. For personal use only. NoNURSING other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
Anger at letter asking for extended healthcare services at no extra cost By Katie Osborne
@NS_reporter
Health unions have reacted with fury after the government asked the NHS Pay Review Body (RB) to look at extending healthcare services to seven days a week, at no extra cost. At present many healthcare services, such as GP practices, only operate five days a week. At weekends tests carried
out in hospitals cannot be authorised because consultants are not at work, and patient discharges are delayed because hospital staff cannot contact GPs and district nurses. NHS England is working on plans to make the same level of healthcare available seven days a week. In a letter to the RB, health minister Dan Poulter said there was a strong
Paulette Lewis (left) with Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust deputy chief nurse Yinglen Butt, who she coached
case for seven-day health services on the grounds of patient safety and quality of patient care. He asked RB to comment on the proposal. ‘For 2015/16 the RB is asked to make observations on the barriers and enablers with the Agenda for Change (AfC) pay system, for delivering health services every day of the week in a financially sustainable way, that means without increasing the existing spend,’ says the letter. But unions, including Unite, Unison and the RCN, have slammed the government for what they say is a deliberately provocative attack on hard-working nurses.
BARNEY NEWMAN
‘Empty rhetoric’
COACHING WOULD BENEFIT CAREERS All nurses should have a life coach or mentor to help them develop confidence and improve their career prospects, according to a former director of nursing. Speaking at the RCN Bulletin Jobs Fair in London last week, Paulette Lewis, who has worked in the NHS for more than 30 years, said lack of confidence and self-esteem could block nurses from reaching their full potential. She said life coaches or mentors help challenge negative beliefs and provide positive guidance and advice on how to have a successful career. ‘Self-confidence is at the heart of all high performers and successful people,’
she said. ‘There are some fantastic nurses out there, but they lack confidence and are therefore not shining bright. ‘A coach can help nurses recognise their strengths and their weaknesses, as well as helping to eliminate their fear of the unknown.’ More than 2,000 nurses attended the jobs fair, held over two days at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London. Dozens of potential employers were exhibiting at the event and many were conducting on-the-spot interviews and giving conditional job offers to candidates. For further information on coaching go to tiny.cc/coaching_register
RCN general secretary Peter Carter said: ‘This is an attack. It adds insult to injury and shows the government’s declared support for the NHS is nothing but empty rhetoric. ‘Earlier this year the government ignored a recommendation from the RB to pay all NHS staff an increase of 1 per cent. Now it is asking the RB to look at how healthcare services can be delivered every day of the week at no extra cost – something that can only be achieved by nurses and healthcare assistants working more night shifts and weekends for no additional or reduced pay.’ Unite head of health Rachael Maskell said the move was a clear attempt by the government to squeeze nurses even more: ‘It is not the RB’s job to change staff terms and conditions,’ she said. ‘That is the job of the NHS staff council because it comes under AfC. ‘This government has made a calculated decision to target nurses, who they believe will not fight back. This is the latest in a long list of cuts and our members are angry. They cannot take any more. They are stretched, stressed and tired of these tactics.’
8 september 10from :: volRCNi.com 29 no 2 ::by2014 STANDARD Downloaded ${individualUser.displayName} on Dec 03, 2015. For personal use only. NoNURSING other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
