This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
DH pledges to create new nursing policy liaison post
The Department of Health (DH) has announced it will create a new post dedicated to nursing allied health profession policy issues in its reformed structure, after a key advisory team was scrapped.
Earlier in the year, the DH aced its nursing, midwifery and allied health professional unit. The move was part of a wider DH 2020 cost cutting drive, which will see the department lose around 700 posts in a bid to reduce runnings costs by 30 per cent over the next five years.
However, soon after, senior members of the profession raise concerns about a lack of vital nursing expertise and influence over policy at the highest level.
Meanwhile a petition calling for the nursing directorate to be retained at the Department of Health was subsequently set up on the parliament website and has passed 10,000 signatures.
Responding to the petition, the DH said: “Absolutely committed to ensuring the voice of nursing, midwifery and AHPs is heard loud and clear in all of our policy making.
It said: “To ensure that the importance and profile of nursing and allied health professional issues is maintained, the department will include a post specifically on nursing and AHPs policy issues, including parliamentary business, in its the new structure.
“This new post will be a close liaison point with the CNO and chief AHP officer, with a remit to ensure DH is sighted on the totality of policy as it affects nurses and AHPs.
Janet Davies, chief executive and general secretary of the RCN, said: “It’s positive that a new nursing post will form part of the new structure. We look forward to working together with the DH to ensure that the nursing profession is at the centre of designing policy which impacts on patient care.”
Davies added: “Nursing leadership, at the highest levels, is the key to achieving the best possible healthcare in the UK.
“The nursing profession needs to have a strong voice government in order to prevent crises in care.”
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