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PAY
RCN prepares to ‘ put a case ’ to government over GPN pay
The Royal College of Nursing ( RCN ) is surveying GPNs who do not receive the full 6 % pay uplift to gather information on how their employers have handled the situation .
The findings will be used to ‘ put a case ’ to ministers over the experience of GPNs in relation to pay , RCN professional lead for primary care Heather Randle told Nursing in Practice .
In recent months the college has issued several warnings that not all GPNs would receive the full 6 % pay increase promised by the government because of the complex funding formula used to distribute the uplift .
In October NHS England confirmed an increase in the general practice global sum would be distributed to practices by November to help fund the pay rise .
However , because the global sum allocates funding per patient , based on various factors including demographics , some practices will not receive enough to cover the full 6 % for salaried staff , while others could get more than they need .
Ms Randle said the RCN was working to inform GPNs about ‘ what the issues are , so they can then go and have a decent conversation with their employer ’. Heather Randle exclusive interview , page 10
CLINICAL
Practice nurse-led treatment more effective for LUTS in men
A new intervention that can be delivered by practice nurses and healthcare assistants has been shown to be effective at reducing male lower urinary tract symptoms ( LUTS ). Researchers from the University of
Bristol found that men with persistent
LUTS were more effectively treated through a practice nurse consultation and provision of an information booklet than standard treatment such as bladder training and controlling fluid intake .
The findings from the study , involving more than 1,000 participants and 30 GP practices , were published in the BMJ .
Currently , LUTS are treated according to NICE guidelines , which involve bladder training , fluid intake and lifestyle advice . However , more evidence of the effectiveness of this type of treatment is required and GP provision is often inconsistent across practices .
To test the effectiveness of the new intervention , the researchers recruited 1,077 adult men with persistent lower urinary tract symptoms between June 2018 and August 2019 .
The study found that men with moderate symptom severity who had been treated by practice nurses and healthcare assistants using the new approach did better overall than those treated using standard methods .
The new intervention led to a more significant and more sustained reduction in symptoms . Read the study at tinyurl . com / BMJ-LUTS
RECRUITMENT
‘ Red list ’ recruitment sparks concern amid record nursing numbers
There are a record 808,488 nurses , midwives and nursing associates eligible to practise in the UK , according to new data from the Nursing and Midwifery Council ( NMC ).
The number on the register represents a six-month rise of 19,857 ( 2.5 %) and a five-year rise of 114,874 ( 16.6 %).
However , the data show an upward trend in joiners from so-called ‘ red list ’
countries , where active recruitment is prohibited . They include joiners from Nigeria ( 1,536 ), Ghana ( 886 ), Zimbabwe ( 283 ), Zambia ( 189 ) and Pakistan ( 110 ) over the past six months .
The NMC said the rise in recruits from these countries was ‘ concerning ’.
RCN chief nurse Professor Nicola Ranger said : ‘ The government ’ s over-reliance on unethical international recruitment from red-list countries has become the norm and cannot continue . It ’ s a false economy .’
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson stated : ‘ Our published Code of Practice is clear that whilst recognising an individual ’ s right to migrate , organisations should not actively recruit from WHO red list countries .’
WORKPLACE
Lack of support for GPNs over sexual harassment at work , MPs told
There is ‘ no support ’ for general practice nurses and primary care colleagues experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace , MPs have been told .
The stark warning was issued at the Commons Women and Equalities Committee session on sexual assault and harassment in the NHS , held in October .
RCN chief nurse Professor Nicola Ranger told the meeting the scale of sexual harassment experienced by nurses was ‘ very challenging ’.
Professor Ranger said the RCN had seen an increase in reports to its own helpline , although she believed instances were ‘ significantly under-reported ’.
The session focused largely on hospital trusts but Dr Chelcie Jewitt , co-founder of the Surviving in Scrubs project , told MPs primary care staff need support .
‘ They are smaller , business-based organisations where there may , in some places , be only a couple of GPs , a couple of practice nurses . There is no support out there for them at the moment ,’ she said .
She said : ‘ I am honoured to have this amazing opportunity to represent the Liberal Democrats . The people of Runnymede and Weybridge need a proactive champion who is vocal , addressing the issues they care about .’
Three in 10 do not attend cervical screening Nearly a third of people do not take up the offer of cervical screening , new figures show .
The NHS Cervical Screening Programme , England 2022-2023 annual report found 68.7 % of 25- to 64-year-olds had attended screening within the recommended period , compared with 69.9 % the previous year .
The figures follow an NHS England pledge to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040 .
Senior health information manager at Cancer Research UK Nicola Smith said : ‘ Barriers to participation can often lead to inequalities in diagnosis and treatment . We support targeted action to increase awareness and widen access to this potentially lifesaving programme .’
Social care nursing leadership role created The RCN Foundation charity is funding the University of Salford to develop and appoint an inaugural ‘ RCN Foundation chair in adult social care nursing ’, a ‘ first of its kind ’ role .
The new chair will work across the four UK nations to take a ‘ strategic lead ’ in shaping research and education in adult social care at a local , national and international level .
England ’ s chief nurse for adult social care Professor Deborah Sturdy called it ‘ a significant moment for social care nursing ’.
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