Nurses and midwives in pole position to deliver high quality care

07/06/2010

Health Minister, Michael McGimpsey, has said that nurses and midwives are in pole position to deliver high quality care to patients.

The Minister was speaking at the annual Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Northern Ireland Nurse of the Year 2010 Awards ceremony, which this year took place on the centenary of the death of the pioneer of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale.

Addressing an audience of around 300 health service leaders, politicians and RCN members from across Northern Ireland, the Minister highlighted a range of investments that have recently been announced, ranging from mental health and maternity services through to services for children with complex needs and patients with circulatory and respiratory diseases. He said:

“These investments will have a direct impact on nurses and midwifes, who will be required to lead, develop and deliver these services.

“In Northern Ireland, the focus has been on developing and strengthening the role of the ward sister. I am committed to ensuring that they have all the necessary authority, help and support needed to carry out that role effectively.”

The Minister continued:

“That is why last year I made £2million available to enable ward sisters to focus on patient quality and safety. In addition to this, I allocated half a million pounds for capital schemes such as minor refurbishment of hospital wards.

“I have also asked the Chief Nursing Officer to work with trusts in looking at the role of Directors of Nursing. It is vital that they have the authority to ensure that patient care is of the highest standard.”

The Minister said that rising demand and limited resources had placed significant pressures on staff and the impact of recent budget cuts and efficiency savings mean the health and social care service is facing a difficult year. He said:

“We are of course facing difficult and challenging financial times, however I am determined to protect the welfare of our patients and in doing so, protect the welfare of our staff. I will not compromise on safety or quality and I look to the trusts to ensure we have adequate staff to deliver high level care to patients.

“Nurses and midwives will be in pole position to deliver high quality health care to patients and their expertise will be increasingly in demand as the need for skilled care grows.”