A new drive to free up nurses to provide the care patients and relatives expect was announced on 6 January 2011 by Prime Minister David Cameron and Health Secretary Andrew Lansley.
As part of this drive to make improvements in nursing quality and care, the PM announced the establishment of a Nursing and Care Quality Forum.
The forum will seek out good practice, and advise on implementation. The prime focus will then be to exhibit national leadership to stimulate local action by those delivering care to address problems and promote the improvements needed across services.
The forum will have its own independent chair and a membership that brings diversity in knowledge, expertise and interest. It will be expected to use research, establish an evidence base, listen to a wide range of views and synthesise best practice.
Sally Brearley has been announced as Chair of the new forum. Sally trained as a physiotherapist and then as a nurse. Subsequently, she has had extensive experience in the field of patient and public involvement.
Commenting on the forum itself, Ms Brearley said: “I would like to think of it as a forum in the widest sense of the word that includes and involves everyone who is working so hard to improve standards of care. We need to harness the expertise, energy and enthusiasm out there and that has already been demonstrated by so many. Nurses have not lost their desire to deliver care with kindness and compassion. The overwhelming majority of students come into the profession precisely because they want to care for patients in this way. The forum will do its utmost to support and promote excellent standards of care, to facilitate the spread of best practice and to ‘fly the flag’ for nursing. Our work will not be confined to hospitals. In every setting where care is delivered, kindness and compassion is absolutely essential to patients, service users and carers. Staff must be supported and empowered to care in this way.”
It is proposed the first meeting of the forum will take place in late February. Further information will be available following this initial meeting as well as regular updates on the forum’s progress, an insight into the working lives of its members and advice on how you can help shape its work.
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