The Patients Association said the move was a “damning condemnation” of care at the hospital. The United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust said patient safety was not affected as students only supported core staff.

‘Support students’

Fifty-two of the affected nurses are from courses run by the University of Nottingham, with another seven from the University of Lincoln and the rest from The Open University.

In a statement, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) said: “Following serious concerns that have formally been raised with the NMC, we have asked The University of Lincoln, The University of Nottingham and The Open University to withdraw around 100 nursing and midwifery students with immediate effect.

“We are working with the universities to review the suitability of the learning environment at Pilgrim Hospital and to support all students affected at this time.”

Sylvia Knight, director of nursing and patient services at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust, said: “Although students form a valuable part of the nursing teams, they work in addition to our core staff, therefore our ability to deliver safe services for patients is not reliant on the presence of student nurses and midwives.

“At the present time, we are seeking further clarification from the NMC regarding the reason for their actions.”

‘Lack of care’

NHS East Midlands said: “We are now working closely with the Nursing and Midwifery Council, NHS Lincolnshire and the hospital itself to understand the concerns of the NMC that have led to them removing student nurses and midwives from the Pilgrim Hospital site.”

The chief executive of the Patients Association, Katherine Murphy, said: “How many times do we have to hear about the lack of essential care in this hospital before something is done?

“Patients deserve better – if this hospital is performing so badly that it is not thought suitable to train nurses then it is certainly not suitable to care for sick and vulnerable patients.

“What is the trust going to do about this?,” she said.

Last month the hospital was criticised by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which said it had not met required standards in 12 of 16 categories.

‘Normal working relationship’

In a statement, the CQC said it had shared information about the United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust with the NMC.

“This is part of our normal working relationship and the information had previously been shared with the trust.

“The CQC is carrying out a wider investigation into the trust and we will publish the findings of this in due course,” a CQC spokesperson said.

Police have confirmed a separate inquiry into reports of mistreatment of patients by a member of staff is continuing.

Source http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-14339185?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

More on “UKHCA Chair ‘sets the record straight’”

Announcement posted on: 7 July 2011

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has announced the plan to close down NHS Direct in England.

As the BBC reported: NHS Direct currently employs more than 3,000 staff, 40% of whom are trained nurses. It is understood the ratio on the 1-1-1 helpline is slightly less in the pilot, but no figures are yet available for what will happen when the scheme is rolled out nationally.

Critics claim the change would undermine the quality of the service by reducing the number of qualified nurses answering calls, but chief executive of NHS Direct Nick Chapman told the BBC the new helpline would be better and more cost effective than NHS Direct.

What do you think of the closure of NHS Direct and do you think that the new 1-1-1 service will act as a good, cost effective replacement?

Source. http://nhsmatters.co.uk/nhs-direct-closes-what-do-you-think/

Recruiters, employers and healthcare workers have welcomed plans for the introduction of a ‘skills passport’.

A one-year pilot project was conducted among nursing staff at seven English NHS Trusts during 2009/10 seeking to test ‘proof of concept’ for the passport which allows workers to create a verified online record of their skills, qualifications and experience. This can be viewed by prospective or existing employers as required.

According to research from sector skills council Skills for Health, employers liked the way the passport can cut unnecessary duplication of statutory and mandatory training and pre-employment checks each time a worker moves between employers, while nurses praised the passport’s potential contribution to career development and job mobility. 

Kate Bleasdale, executive vice chairman of HCL, told Recruiter: “With their uniquely transferable skills, the UK’s healthcare workforce is becoming more and more mobile and is also becoming increasingly inclined towards flexible working patterns. Any measure which supports these trends, and supports healthcare workers’ continued professional development, is welcome. With an increasing demand for healthcare professionals from a growing and aging population, it’s also vital for patient care that healthcare professionals can move seamlessly to new roles, with as little red tape as possible.

Caron Ratcliffe, director of nursing, Apex Health + Social Care, adds: “As a supplier of temporary staff to the NHS we would welcome the introduction of a ‘skills passport.”

The Department of Health (DH) has relaxed its position on the use of Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) Certificates, effectively introducing a limited system of “portability” for care services regulated by CQC.

This new approach applies in services provided to adults (but not children) in England and allows employers – under certain circumstances – to accept a Disclosure Certificate produced by a prospective employee, provided that the Certificate is no more than 3 months old and is at the appropriate level. In these circumstances, the employer does not need to complete a new application for a Disclosure. UKHCA has produced guidance for members on using portability in homecare services, which includes recent (DH) Dept of Health and CQC guidance.

The Department of Health (DoH) has announced its intention to explore options with the private sector for potential investment in NHS Professionals (NHSP) – the organisation that was initially set up as an in-house provider of flexible staff within the NHS.

Underlining the significance of the announcement, Tom Hadley, the REC’s Director of External Relations says: ”This is a real milestone, as it is recognition for the private sector’s long-standing role in effectively resourcing the NHS. For many years, the REC has called for a level playing field between public and private sector providers and has questioned the value of having an unwieldy and bureaucratic internal model.”

“NHSP was established with huge public subsidies to replicate the work of specialised recruitment agencies. It has failed on both the quality of service offered to NHS Trusts and the financial burden it has placed on the taxpayer.”

“While private investment may be helpful, the way forward is for NHS Professionals to be fully privatised. This will enable it to compete on a level playing field with other providers and again show that the private sector is best placed to help NHS employers with their critical resourcing needs.”

Hadley added: “The NHS is one of the largest employers in the world and presents one of the greatest resourcing challenges there is.  Flexible staffing arrangements will remain crucial for the delivery of front line services and specialised agencies will continue to provide the most cost-effective means of ensuring that the right staff are in the right place at the right time.”

SOURCE