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NMC enters second stage of consultation By Nick Lipley SENIOR NURSES have until the middle of August to respond to the latest consultation by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) on revising its code and implementing revalidation. The NMC launched the second part of its consultation process, which involves online questions and focus groups to generate more qualitative data, last month. A spokesperson said that analysis of responses to the first part, which ended in March, will take place only after the second part has concluded, so that a final version of proposals can go for approval to NMC council in November. The NMC plans to launch its model for revalidation in December 2015. The RCN has expressed concern over proposals to use appraisal as part of the revalidation process. The college said the proposals had ‘elicited strong views’ from members.
On the move EDITORIAL ADVISORY board member Jenny Kay has stepped down from her NHS role of director of quality at Merton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), London. Lynn Street, who has been deputy director of nursing at Somerset CCG, is replacing her. GAIL NAYLOR joined North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust last month as director of nursing and midwifery. Ms Naylor has been director of nursing, midwifery and operations at Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust for five years. She has worked in a variety of clinical roles during her career, as well leading and managing teams in a variety of senior leadership positions in the NHS. She will continue to practise as a nurse and midwife at North Cumbria. See analysis, page 11 6
June 2014 | Volume 21 | Number 3
Final version of validation proposals will be ready for approval by council in November According to the RCN response to the first part of the consultation, ‘the purpose of appraisal (for employers to review performance in a given role) and of revalidation (to confirm fitness to remain on the NMC register) are entirely separate’. ‘There is considerable risk that conflating the two will lead to confusion and unacceptable outcomes. The RCN believes the risk of this conflation was foreshadowed in the recent public sector pay announcement in March 2014, and the RCN is aware of ever greater worries among nurses about the linking of professional nursing practice issues with employment processes that could be open to abuse and mismanagement.’ The college has also raised concerns about costs: ‘An overwhelming theme
Better results for NHS quality of care across whole of UK THE NUFFIELD Trust and Health Foundation have published their assessment of NHS quality of care in all four UK countries since devolution. The research finds that there have been significant improvements in health service performance across all four countries, with particular progress linked to tougher sanctions and targets in Scotland, even though since 2010 waiting times in Wales have risen as austerity has set in. The report, Four Health Systems of the UK: How Do They Compare?, finds that the performance gap between the NHS in England and the rest of the UK has narrowed in recent years, with no country consistently ahead of, or lagging behind, the others. This is despite considerable policy differences between each country, such as England’s greater emphasis on patient
in the thousands of comments received is the fear that revalidation will be under resourced, and thus fatally undermined.’ The college response added: ‘The current dearth of support for continuing professional development is another concern. Nurses told us this was the biggest barrier to making revalidation work.’ Details of the NMC consultation are available at www.nmc-uk.org/revalidation To read the RCN response to the first part of the consultation, go to tinyurl.com/ povuecq Nursing Management reader survey To take part in a reader survey on revalidation, go to www.surveymonkey.com/s/ nmrevalidation
choice and the use of private sector providers, and the rejection of competition in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. RCN general secretary Peter Carter said: ‘There is plenty of good news in this report. Nurses have contributed to significant improvements in care since the turn of the century. For example, MRSA rates are lower, and stroke services have improved, promising better and faster recoveries for many. ‘Sadly, there are some significant warning signs here too. Wherever a patient is receiving care, staffing levels and skill mix need to be sufficient for that care to be safe. ‘There are signs in this report that the staffing levels in England in particular have slipped in recent years, at a time when demand has risen.’ See analysis, page 8, and opinion, page 13
i Find out more For copies of the report, go to tinyurl.com/ntjcves NURSING MANAGEMENT
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NMC enters second stage of consultation By Nick Lipley SENIOR NURSES have until the middle of August to respond to the latest consultation by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) on revising its code and implementing revalidation. The NMC launched the second part of its consultation process, which involves online questions and focus groups to generate more qualitative data, last month. A spokesperson said that analysis of responses to the first part, which ended in March, will take place only after the second part has concluded, so that a final version of proposals can go for approval to NMC council in November. The NMC plans to launch its model for revalidation in December 2015. The RCN has expressed concern over proposals to use appraisal as part of the revalidation process. The college said the proposals had ‘elicited strong views’ from members.
On the move EDITORIAL ADVISORY board member Jenny Kay has stepped down from her NHS role of director of quality at Merton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), London. Lynn Street, who has been deputy director of nursing at Somerset CCG, is replacing her. GAIL NAYLOR joined North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust last month as director of nursing and midwifery. Ms Naylor has been director of nursing, midwifery and operations at Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust for five years. She has worked in a variety of clinical roles during her career, as well leading and managing teams in a variety of senior leadership positions in the NHS. She will continue to practise as a nurse and midwife at North Cumbria. See analysis, page 11 6
June 2014 | Volume 21 | Number 3
Final version of validation proposals will be ready for approval by council in November According to the RCN response to the first part of the consultation, ‘the purpose of appraisal (for employers to review performance in a given role) and of revalidation (to confirm fitness to remain on the NMC register) are entirely separate’. ‘There is considerable risk that conflating the two will lead to confusion and unacceptable outcomes. The RCN believes the risk of this conflation was foreshadowed in the recent public sector pay announcement in March 2014, and the RCN is aware of ever greater worries among nurses about the linking of professional nursing practice issues with employment processes that could be open to abuse and mismanagement.’ The college has also raised concerns about costs: ‘An overwhelming theme
Better results for NHS quality of care across whole of UK THE NUFFIELD Trust and Health Foundation have published their assessment of NHS quality of care in all four UK countries since devolution. The research finds that there have been significant improvements in health service performance across all four countries, with particular progress linked to tougher sanctions and targets in Scotland, even though since 2010 waiting times in Wales have risen as austerity has set in. The report, Four Health Systems of the UK: How Do They Compare?, finds that the performance gap between the NHS in England and the rest of the UK has narrowed in recent years, with no country consistently ahead of, or lagging behind, the others. This is despite considerable policy differences between each country, such as England’s greater emphasis on patient
in the thousands of comments received is the fear that revalidation will be under resourced, and thus fatally undermined.’ The college response added: ‘The current dearth of support for continuing professional development is another concern. Nurses told us this was the biggest barrier to making revalidation work.’ Details of the NMC consultation are available at www.nmc-uk.org/revalidation To read the RCN response to the first part of the consultation, go to tinyurl.com/ povuecq Nursing Management reader survey To take part in a reader survey on revalidation, go to www.surveymonkey.com/s/ nmrevalidation
choice and the use of private sector providers, and the rejection of competition in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. RCN general secretary Peter Carter said: ‘There is plenty of good news in this report. Nurses have contributed to significant improvements in care since the turn of the century. For example, MRSA rates are lower, and stroke services have improved, promising better and faster recoveries for many. ‘Sadly, there are some significant warning signs here too. Wherever a patient is receiving care, staffing levels and skill mix need to be sufficient for that care to be safe. ‘There are signs in this report that the staffing levels in England in particular have slipped in recent years, at a time when demand has risen.’ See analysis, page 8, and opinion, page 13
i Find out more For copies of the report, go to tinyurl.com/ntjcves NURSING MANAGEMENT
Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 27, 2015. For personal use only. No other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
