Wellbeing of patients is at the heart of everything we do
THE Royal College of Nursing Wales has always prided itself on being the voice of nursing in Wales – and health professionals and politicians from all sides of the political spectrum are quick to endorse this view.
RCN Wales has a long tradition of campaigning to improve both the health of the Welsh population and the professional life of nurses and nursing in Wales; and much of this success is inexorably linked with the work it does in partnership with the Welsh Government and National Assembly for Wales members. Our work has two distinct – but closely linked – arms. We are both a trade union and also a professional body – and see our role as one that will improve nursing care so that patient experience is enhanced, whilst working hard to ensure our members are not put at risk when seeking to deliver care.
It is no coincidence that since the inception of the National Assembly for Wales in 1999 RCN Wales has made great strides in achieving its campaigning aims – perhaps most notably our work in developing the Nurses Staffing Levels (Wales) Act 2016 legislation.
This was the first time that a lobbying campaign had led to a new statute in Wales and we are so proud that our work and commitment will improve – and even save – lives in Wales.
We started talking about the need for appropriate nurse staffing levels in all acute NHS settings as far back at 2008 – based on what our members were telling us about patient safety and wellbeing being compromised by a lack of registered nurses on the wards.
This became an active campaign later and we worked closely with Welsh Government and Assembly Members and especially Kirsty Williams AM, to develop the Bill which became law in March 2016. We are now actively working on extending the legislation to cover other areas of healthcare.
Lobbying for improvements to nursing and public health generally are an important part of our work and we can also count increases in the number of school nurses; the continuation of the nursing bursary for students and, indeed the implementation of the all-graduate nursing scheme for Wales as examples of our successful partnership working capabilities.
We don’t meet with politicians just for the sake of holding a meeting. We talk to them about issues that need addressing – and ensure we have a credible solution to the problem already worked through. RCN Wales is accepted as the expert in its field and our input is trusted by decision-makers and opinion-formers.
The Welsh Government has, with our support, also introduced the ban on smoking in public places; funded better neo-natal facilities across the country, introduced, and continues to develop, better access to primary care with more services being brought closer to local communities; and introduced its successful Train Work Live campaign, which is actively trying to address the significant recruitment issues we face in Wales.
RCN Wales is also focused on continued professional development of nurses and health care support workers – and our Free to Lead, Free to Care campaign gained a great deal of traction, underpinned by our regular Leadership Conferences, supported by the Welsh Government, that focus on new and best practice in nursing in order to shape the next generation of nurse leaders.
We are also significantly committed to improving the professional development on Health Care Support Workers – they are often the unsung heroes of the health care world and we are working with Welsh Government and National Assembly members and other partners to ensure consistency of training and conditions both within the NHS and in the independent sector.
Our work to improve the lives of our patients, our members and the wider health care service continues apace – we are constantly listening to our members, who have first-hand experience of what life is really like on our wards and who are best placed to identify what changes could lead to the greatest benefits.
The wellbeing of patients is at the heart of everything we do, and we will strive to both work with the all parties and health and social care providers, and hold them to account when necessary, to make sure that patient wellbeing is at the centre of everything it does.
■ Tina Donnelly is director of the Royal College of Nursing in Wales