Published: 26 July 2006
Abortive Health Consultation ‘’Fails’ Democratic Process
Thousands of Scottish families could lose out on community nursing services because of Scottish Executive proposals.
Amicus/The Community Practitioners’ and Health Visitors' Association is protesting at proposals which will see familiar nursing figures - health visitors, family health nurses and school nurses – all disappear and become ‘community nurses’.
Amicus/CPHVA is also concerned that Scottish Health and Community Care Minister, Andy Kerr has already had his comments incorporated into the document - Improving Health by Providing Visible, Accessible, Consistent Care - The Review of Nursing in the Community in Scotland – before the close of a formal consultation process.
Amicus/CPHVA Professional Officer for Scotland, Gavin Fergie said:
“We doubt the ability of these proposed community nurses to cover the full clinical range found in community nursing from terminal care to postnatal depression.
Thousands of Scottish families won’t necessarily get the nursing specialist they need for a particular problem, as they do currently.
We are concerned that the health minister appears to have commented on this draft before the consultation period has finished.
What’s the point of a consultation process, if the decisions have already been made? Such actions contribute to the democratic deficit.
The present nursing disciplines in community nursing are being blamed for Scotland's poor health record.
In reality, it is the lack of investment in training of new practitioners to defuse the community nursing demographic time bomb - many community nurses could retire tomorrow or are very close to retirement age.
The review is ‘chronic health’ focused with little weight given to the important public health preventative work that health visitors and school nurses carry out on a daily basis”.
News update
We understand from Amicus/CPHVA that the Minister is now claiming that he has ‘yet to make up his mind on this issue’.
Whether this response to the raising of the issue is just political spin or the start of meaningful discussions / negotiations remains to be seen!
Further information
CPHVA website
June 2006 Draft version 5: Improving Health by Providing Visible, Accessible, Consistent Care - The Review of Nursing in the Community in Scotland
Public Health Institute of Scotland
Scottish Executive Health Dept.
Links to other Scottish Health organisations
The Health Jigsaw – Making it Fit!
Amicus/CPHVA Annual Professional Conference, 18-20 October 2006, Harrogate
Register on-line or download programme
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