Nurse prescribing is part of solution says RCN

The article quoted Professor Hugh McGavock, visiting professor of prescribing science at the University of Ulster and a former member of the Committee on Safety of Medicines, who said he had “serious concerns” over the issue. He described nurses’ knowledge of diagnosis as pathetically poor and commented: “It takes medical students five years to be competent to make a differential diagnosis. Only a country with not enough doctors would go down this cheapy line.”

Responding to the article, Safety fears over explosion in nurse prescribing, General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, Dr Peter Carter, said:

“Nurse prescribing has been a historic move for the nursing profession and it is one of the most successful parts of the current NHS reforms. Far from being the problem Professor Hugh McGavock suggests, nurse prescribing has proved itself to be an important part of the solution in improving access to medicines and cutting waiting times for patients.

“Research shows that the majority of nurses who prescribe have at least ten years nursing experience before starting their prescribing training and must have either degree or masters level education. Far from having a “pathetically poor’” knowledge of diagnosis, before they can even access a course, nurses have to be able to demonstrate that they have sufficient assessment and diagnostic skills in the specialist area they will prescribe in.

“Ultimately, every single nurse prescriber has to be ‘signed off’ by a doctor before they can begin prescribing. With well over 10,000 nurse prescribers currently practising, it appears there are at least 10,000 doctors who would disagree with Professor McGavock’s concerns.”