SCoR feeds back on new nursing role consultation

Published: 15 March 2016 Ezine

The Society and College of Radiographers has responded to the consultation launched by Health Education England earlier this year on the proposed new ‘Nursing Associate’ role.

The new role is expected to work alongside care assistants and registered nurses to deliver hands-on care, focusing on ensuring patients continue to get the best level of care possible.

HEE sought feedback on the details of the new role, to which the Society has provided detailed feedback.

Click here to read the response. 

Charlotte Beardmore, Director of Professional Policy at the SCoR, said: "We thank members for sending the SCoR their responses to this consultation.

"We are concerned that the consultation focused solely upon one profession, the nursing profession, and didn’t expand to include the AHPs.

"We have made this point clearly - high quality patient care requires excellent team work and across professional boundaries.  

"We think this proposed new role could add confusion. How does it fit with healthcare assistants and assistant practitioners already within the workforce, and more recently the physicians associates that have been introduced?    

"There is also the longer term concern that this will lead to a reduction in the registered nurse workforce as the proposed nurse associate numbers increase."