Brexit poses seismic challenges for health and social care provision in the United Kingdom concerning the ongoing financial support available to fund health and social care within a post-Brexit economy. Alongside funding issues, there are potential concerns linked to the continued access to medical supplies and equipment which are linked to trading relationships within the European Union (EU). Changes to the context of legal frameworks and funding for research which result from Brexit are also serious concerns. Although many of these areas may have potential detrimental impacts on patient care, there is a particular concern about the loss of migrant health and social care workers, which may exacerbate the recruitment issues currently facing the UK health and social care workforce. Reflections from those who work within health and social care, such as the authors of this paper, can create insider perspectives about what Brexit means to individuals and their families. This can help organisations consider the challenges that their current EU migrant workers experience and explore ways of mitigating these impacts on both the individual and wider organisation to ensure patient care is not diluted, but instead enhanced.
Lipoedema is a challenging condition for patients, health and social care professionals. Lack of understanding about the condition leads to delayed diagnosis and poor support with self-management. This paper draws on key evidence, best practice guidelines for the management of lipoedema, and a patient story, to provide insights into the presentation, diagnosis, impact and management of the condition. It also identifies key points for practice for community nurses.
Improvement of wound outcomes is a priority for the NHS if the cost of wound management is to be reduced. Failure to undertake a full holistic wound assessment can result in inappropriate and ineffective treatment, resulting in delayed healing, which can have a negative effect on patient quality of life and healthcare resources. NHS England has commissioned a CQUIN scheme for 2017–19. This comprises 13 indicators which seek to improve quality and outcomes of care for NHS
patients, while supporting local areas in delivering their sustainability and transformation partnerships (STPs). The tenth national indicator focuses on ‘improving the assessment of wounds’. This article provides a practical guide to systematic wound assessment for community nurses so that CQUIN targets can be met, and also introduces a new tool from BSN medical, an Essity company, to help nurses in this area.
This month Hallam Medical, the nursing recruitment agency, celebrates its tenth anniversary, and over that time we have placed a lot of nurses in exciting new roles as well as developing our commitment to nurse education. During this period, there have also been a lot of changes in the wider NHS as well as in the world of community nursing. But, as we work in an ever-evolving environment, what changes can we expect in the future and, more importantly, are we actually ready for them?
Having co-founded Hallam Medical I have to say the past ten years have flown by, but despite it only being a decade, an awful lot has changed, in primary care in particular. Not only have the health needs of the general population altered significantly — witness the major growth in chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and obesity for example — but the nursing profession as a whole has had to change, evolve and adapt to meet these new challenges.
Stroke is a major cause of mortality and lifelong disability, despite advances in diagnosis and treatment. The risk factors of stroke are well-known and many are modifiable through lifestyle adjustments, however, the incidence of first-time stroke is increasing year-on-year. Primary stroke prevention is an important health promotion issue and successful implementation could lead to a reduction in the incidence of stroke and relieve a costly burden to the NHS. Nurses play an important role in providing information and advice to patients in secondary prevention of stroke, and could play an equal role in primary prevention. Providing advice on lifestyle behaviours such as smoking, alcohol consumption, diet and exercise all fall under the remit of the nurse in health promotion and in secondary stroke care. By providing a primary prevention service, community nurses could work as case managers for a larger multidisciplinary team and provide prevention advice and treatment.
I realised very early on in my career that I was not destined to be a hospital nurse, so I messed around for a few years doing things other than nursing before landing a job as a community staff nurse.
The plan was to stay as a community nurse until my (very little) children grew up, but within 18 months I was on the district nursing course.
I became a district nursing sister, then a tissue viability nurse and then led a team of various specialist nurses while simultaneously working as a community research nurse. A few years ago I moved from clinical practice to teaching and research.
Candice Pellett OBE, Queen’s Nurse, is a transition project manager at the Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI) in London. Candice received the OBE in 2014 for Services to Nursing and Healthcare.
Candice talks about her background in community practice.
Community nursing is becoming more stressful and some nurses are at risk of burnout. Angela Hall, a former district nurse and Macmillan clinical nurse specialist, explores what can be done...
