The Government has announced a new commission of experts to advise on the future role of nurses and midwives. The Prime Minister’s Commission on the Future of Nursing and Midwifery will build on the existing work identified in Lord Darzi’s report High Quality Care for All and consider how nurses can further improve safety and champion high quality patient care.
It will also examine how nurses and midwives can be given more freedom to manage, commission and run their own services. All branches of nursing and midwifery will be considered including health visitors, mental health and learning disability nurses and paediatric nurses.
Experts in the field of nursing will:
• Identify the skills and support that frontline nurses and midwives need to take a central role in delivering 21st Century health services for patients.
• Consider how to build on these expanding roles, including giving nurses and midwives more freedom to manage and run their own services.
• Work together with the profession, patients and the public to advise on how nurses can contribute to the implementation of Lord Darzi’s vision to improve the safety and quality of patient care.
Health Minister and chair of the commission, Ann Keen said: “We have made huge strides in the profession and now have nurse consultants, midwife-led units and community matrons. Now is the time to bring these advances and challenges together, to help support our nurses to be free to nurse, create opportunities for them to lead change and give them the authority to deliver high quality care for patients.”
