Jane McCready: Quality of patient care is top priority for NHS

Published on Tuesday 1 September 2009 09:06

Nurses strive to work to the highest standards, says Jane McCready

IT WAS with shock and horror that I read the report last week of instances of unacceptably poor patient care in England. To the vast majority of nurses, such poor care – wherever it occurs – is completely incompatible with our ethos of caring for patients.

The examples in last week's report by the Patients Association must be considered alongside the thousands of examples of high-quality and safe patient care delivered day in, day out, in our NHS.

The headlines in last week's newspapers must not undermine people's confidence in the care they receive from nurses and other healthcare staff in today's Scotland. There are rigorous checks and balances in place to ensure care is of a good standard and staff and NHS health boards constantly strive to offer the best level of care they can.

Patients or families with any concerns about standards of care should raise these concerns as soon as possible to make sure improvements are made.

At the same time, staff who are concerned about care in their place of work have a duty to report unacceptable standards, and employers must ensure that staff are not scared away from blowing the whistle by bullying and intimidation.

The new approach to the role of senior charge nurses (SCNs) across Scotland means that – so long as health boards provide the support and resources needed – SCNs are not only directly responsible for standards of patient care, they have the authority they need to ensure staff in their ward deliver care safely and effectively.

They are also becoming increasingly prominent in our hospital wards so patients and families can report any concerns they have direct to SCNs who can then take immediate action to rectify the situation.

Empathy, dignity and compassion are at the heart of nursing. Together with professionalism and expertise, these core values should mean that any instances of poor patient care are stamped out as soon as possible, so we can all have confidence in the healthcare we receive.

Jane McCready is chair of RCN Scotland