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Exclusive by Jennifer Sprinks NHS organisations should do more to develop and support nurse consultant roles because they provide value for money as well as enhance nursing research and clinical practice, according to the RCN. The college is concerned about declining numbers of nurse consultants employed by NHS organisations across the UK, particularly in mental health and learning disabilities. RCN mental health adviser Ian Hulatt said nurse consultants are a ‘cost effective’ option because their expertise may enable them to undertake tasks previously carried out by medical consultants or registrars.

‘THEY ARE A VALUABLE COMMODITY BUT CAN BE AN EASY TARGET’ ‘I have seen some shrinkage in the number of nurse consultants and that is a great shame,’ he said. ‘They are a very valuable commodity, but in the hard economic climate we are in they can be an easy target. It takes a long time to develop a nurse consultant, so we need to think smartly about succession planning.’ Mr Hulatt was responding to the findings of a Nursing Standard survey of 52 NHS organisations across the UK. We found that nurse consultant numbers have either decreased or remained static in two thirds of the organisations since 2008. Birmingham Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said its nurse consultant numbers have been fairly static because it prefers to develop nursing careers through

NURSING STANDARD

the advanced nurse practitioner development programme. Our survey revealed huge variations in the numbers employed from one organisation to another. For example, Barts Health NHS Trust in London employs a whole-time equivalent (WTE) of 21.6 nurse consultants, while most organisations employ only one to five consultants in specialist areas such as midwifery or mental health. Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust do not employ any nurse consultants. A spokesperson for Burton Hospitals said the trust does not employ nurse consultants at the moment because ‘there is no remit for the posts in its existing portfolio of clinical services’. The role of nurse consultant – typically band 8 nurses who remain in clinical practice while undertaking research and providing leadership – was introduced in 1998 by former prime minister Tony Blair. Health and Social Care Information Centre figures for England show a steady increase in numbers between 2001 and 2012, from 130 WTEs to 1,139.

Dementia care

Sixteen organisations surveyed by Nursing Standard have increased the numbers they employ since 2008. Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Ayrshire & Arran have increased their numbers of nurse consultants to improve their focus on dementia care.

PA PHOTOS

Consultants need more support to halt decline in numbers, says RCN

PRINCE DOES THE HONOURS FOR LEADING NURSES

A community nurse consultant spoke of her pride at collecting an OBE from Prince William at Buckingham Palace. Joan Myers (pictured) collected her award for services to children and nursing at an investiture ceremony last week that also honoured Wimbledon tennis champion Andy Murray and presenter Aled Jones. Ms Myers, who chairs the chief nursing officer’s black and minority ethnic (BME) advisory group, said: ‘It was a wonderful moment and an honour to meet the future king.’ Also honoured at the ceremony was Ms Myers’ colleague at Whittington Health in north London, nurse consultant Lorraine Lawton, who was made an OBE for her work as an RAF reservist. University of Manchester professor of nursing Nicky Cullum (pictured, inset) was made a Dame for services to nursing research. october 23 :: vol 28 no 8 :: 2013 7

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Consultants need more support to halt decline in numbers, says RCN.

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