NEWS
Health staff set to benefit from new military training centre’s facilities A £138 million base that will train thousands of nurses and healthcare assistants for future military operations has been officially opened. The Duchess of Cornwall formally dedicated the new home base Defence Medical Services (Whittington) (DMS (W)), Staffordshire on May 8. Defence Medical Services provides health care to the UK’s 170,000-strong armed forces at home and on deployment, including primary care, rehabilitation and community mental health services. Spread over 60 acres, the base will provide facilities for the UK’s 7,000 medical, nursing and dental personnel who are members of the army, navy and air force. DMS (W) boasts purpose-built training wards for nurses and healthcare assistants (HCAs) and a medical library containing more than 18,000 books. It will run continuing professional development courses for defence nurses in areas including leadership, humanitarian operations and disaster relief. In addition it will offer courses on clinical subjects and a defence healthcare degree.
TIM GEORGE
By Kat Keogh
Major Chris Carter meets the Duchess of Cornwall at the opening of the Staffordshire training centre
A new HCA training programme will be launched in September, at which students will be able to complete a 16-week advanced apprenticeship course including a four-week placement at a nursing home. The training programme will be led by two nurses and two HCA instructors DMS (W) will be the centre of UK military medical service after training was moved from Keogh Barracks in Aldershot, Hampshire, earlier this year.
Major Chris Carter, who is part of the Defence School of Healthcare Education, said the investment in the site reflects how integral nursing is to the armed forces. ‘Keogh had served us well, but it was getting older,’ added Major Carter, who is also chair of the RCN defence nursing forum. ‘Now nurses and HCAs can learn and teach in an environment that is purpose-built, with lecture theatres, wards and classrooms equipped with wi-fi and digital whiteboards.’
NMC to consult on planned registration fee increase The Nursing and Midwifery Council has launched a consultation on its plans to raise its annual registration fee from £100 to £120 in February next year. The document asks nurses whether they agree with the rise, whether they want the fee kept at £100 or whether they prefer an alternative option, which they can then detail. The NMC says that if the fee remains at £100, it will have a funding gap of around £13 million a year.
NURSING STANDARD
Chief executive Jackie Smith added that the increase will allow the NMC to make ‘much needed improvements that we have committed to’. But more than 100,000 people have already signed an e-petition set up by mental health nurse Steve Iwasyk that opposes the rise. Unison has said the plans should be dropped and is contacting MPs to put pressure on the government for a parliamentary debate.
RCN general secretary Peter Carter said: ‘Any fee rise would be yet another blow to hardworking nurses and midwives, who are still reeling from the government’s decision to deny most of them a pay rise.’ The consultation runs until July 31 and a final decision will be made by the NMC’s council on October 1. Responses can be made by individuals and organisations. To take part in the consultation go to tinyurl.com/kuk8cx8 may 14 :: vol 28 no 37 :: 2014 11
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Health staff set to benefit from new military training centre’s facilities A £138 million base that will train thousands of nurses and healthcare assistants for future military operations has been officially opened. The Duchess of Cornwall formally dedicated the new home base Defence Medical Services (Whittington) (DMS (W)), Staffordshire on May 8. Defence Medical Services provides health care to the UK’s 170,000-strong armed forces at home and on deployment, including primary care, rehabilitation and community mental health services. Spread over 60 acres, the base will provide facilities for the UK’s 7,000 medical, nursing and dental personnel who are members of the army, navy and air force. DMS (W) boasts purpose-built training wards for nurses and healthcare assistants (HCAs) and a medical library containing more than 18,000 books. It will run continuing professional development courses for defence nurses in areas including leadership, humanitarian operations and disaster relief. In addition it will offer courses on clinical subjects and a defence healthcare degree.
TIM GEORGE
By Kat Keogh
Major Chris Carter meets the Duchess of Cornwall at the opening of the Staffordshire training centre
A new HCA training programme will be launched in September, at which students will be able to complete a 16-week advanced apprenticeship course including a four-week placement at a nursing home. The training programme will be led by two nurses and two HCA instructors DMS (W) will be the centre of UK military medical service after training was moved from Keogh Barracks in Aldershot, Hampshire, earlier this year.
Major Chris Carter, who is part of the Defence School of Healthcare Education, said the investment in the site reflects how integral nursing is to the armed forces. ‘Keogh had served us well, but it was getting older,’ added Major Carter, who is also chair of the RCN defence nursing forum. ‘Now nurses and HCAs can learn and teach in an environment that is purpose-built, with lecture theatres, wards and classrooms equipped with wi-fi and digital whiteboards.’
NMC to consult on planned registration fee increase The Nursing and Midwifery Council has launched a consultation on its plans to raise its annual registration fee from £100 to £120 in February next year. The document asks nurses whether they agree with the rise, whether they want the fee kept at £100 or whether they prefer an alternative option, which they can then detail. The NMC says that if the fee remains at £100, it will have a funding gap of around £13 million a year.
NURSING STANDARD
Chief executive Jackie Smith added that the increase will allow the NMC to make ‘much needed improvements that we have committed to’. But more than 100,000 people have already signed an e-petition set up by mental health nurse Steve Iwasyk that opposes the rise. Unison has said the plans should be dropped and is contacting MPs to put pressure on the government for a parliamentary debate.
RCN general secretary Peter Carter said: ‘Any fee rise would be yet another blow to hardworking nurses and midwives, who are still reeling from the government’s decision to deny most of them a pay rise.’ The consultation runs until July 31 and a final decision will be made by the NMC’s council on October 1. Responses can be made by individuals and organisations. To take part in the consultation go to tinyurl.com/kuk8cx8 may 14 :: vol 28 no 37 :: 2014 11
Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 14, 2015. For personal use only. No other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
