Community Practitioner back issues from October 2008:
The right mix? A key debate on skill mix is due to be take place at the annual professional conference in Harrogate on 20 to 22 November.(COMMENT)
Oct 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Skill mix has always been a feature of good health care. In hospitals and communities, war zones and disaster areas, different professionals and other skilled workers have always pooled their knowledge, skills and expertise to greater effect than any one ...
More nurses needed for HPV scheme: concerns remain over a lack of nurses and increased workloads in implementing the HPV vaccination programme, despite extra funding.(NEWS)(human papillomavirus)(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2008 ... Unite/CPHVA is concerned that there are not enough qualified nurses to implement the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination scheme. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Unite/CPHVA professional officer Rosalind Godson stated: 'We support the HPV scheme, but there are not enough ...
Action for pay.(NEWS)
Oct 01, 2008 ... Unite showed its support for the TUC campaign against the government's public sector pay policy at the congress' annual conference last month. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Unite assistant general secretary Gail Cartmail stated: 'The frustration and anger expressed during ...
NMC Council meeting.(NEWS)(Nursing and Midwifery Council)(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2008 ... At the NMC Council meeting last month, Unite/CPHVA lead professional officer Obi Amadi questioned discussions over the remuneration of new Council members. She stated that it was an 'inappropriate time' to discuss remuneration of the new Council, as the NMC's action plan in ...
Cuts leave children vulnerable.(NEWS)(Survey)(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2008 ... Unite/CPHVA's omnibus survey has found that 69.2% of health visitors feel they do not have sufficient resources to respond to the needs of vulnerable children. Unite/CPHVA lead professional [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] officer Cheryll Adams stated: 'So-called "modernising" ...
Get your tickets for conference.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2008 ... This year's annual conference held in Harrogate from 20 to 22 November has increased its programme to include speakers on Saturday. Unite/CPHVA professional officer Briege Coyle stated: 'We are very keen to demonstrate our commitment to supporting the Children's Plan. This ...
Plans to improve palliative care.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2008 ... A new action plan for palliative care services in Scotland will be published this month, after a report from Audit Scotland stated that palliative care services need to improve. Unite/CPHVA professional officer Gavin Fergie stated: 'One would hope that patients with ...
Welsh 'family nurse' consultation.
Oct 01, 2008 ... The Welsh Assembly Government has launched a consultation into a new 'family nurse' role ...
Community staff nurse competencies.
Oct 01, 2008 ... The Health Visitors Forum is calling on members who may have examples of competencies and induction training documents for community staff nurses (grouped ...
Tribunal win.
Oct 01, 2008 ... Unite has succeeded at a tribunal on behalf of 25 members against Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals, ...
More NCT places.
Oct 01, 2008 ... The National Childbirth Trust (NCT) will be providing an extra 600 antenatal and postnatal courses, ...
QNI Fund for Innovation.
Oct 01, 2008 ... The Queen's Nursing Institute (QNI) has announced grants of up to 7500 [pounds sterling] for its Fund for Innovation 2009 programme. The fund aims to support projects to promote shared learning and ...
CKD online resouce pack.
Oct 01, 2008 ... The Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Forum have launched an online resource pack to improve ...
Life expectancy in UK has decreased.
Oct 01, 2008 ... The World Health Organization has published a report that states that ill health has ...
Community nursing CD.
Oct 01, 2008 ... The QNI has launched a new CD to promote nursing careers in the community. It is written by community nurses on a range of specialties, and in ...
Social care and public health research.
Oct 01, 2008 ... Unite/CPHVA's Education and Development Trust will be holding their annual general meeting on 21 November ...
Learning difficulties health check DVD.
Oct 01, 2008 ... North Wales NHS Trust's community health liaison team have produced a film in order to promote specialist annual health checks for ...
Let's Talk.
Oct 01, 2008 ... Tommy's has launched a Let's Talk campaign in order to provide expert health information for pregnant women. The campaign was launched after ...
Know Your Limits on the web.(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2008 ... The Home Office has launched a stakeholders' website for resources and updates to help support the ...
Improving services for allergy suffers.
Oct 01, 2008 ... The North West has been appointed as the first strategic health authority (SHA) to improve services for allergy suffers. The ...
Change4Life.(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2008 ... Change4Life, the new 'mass movement' supported by the Department of Health aims to improve children's diets ...
European food safety.(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2008 ... The European Commission has revised and simplified rules over food safety in ...
Touch, look, check.(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2008 ... Breakthrough Breast Cancer has launched a campaign called 'Talk TLC'--touch, look, check--to ...
Child care worse in deprived areas.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2008 ... A report from Ofsted has found that childcare settings including nurseries and childminders have improved over the last three years in England, but standards are lower in deprived areas. Unite/CPHVA professional officer Maggie Fisher stated: 'We work locally and nationally with ...
Cholesterol tests for children.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2008 ... Under new guidelines published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, practice nurses may be required to test children of families with familial hypercholesterolaemia. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Unite/CPHVA professional officer Dave Munday stated: ...
Public transport rate victory.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2008 ... Unite has successfully negotiated new public transport rates with Lincolnshire Primary Care Trust (LPCT). [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Unite health sector lead officer for nursing Barrie Brown stated: 'The agreement reached with LPCT sends an encouraging message that staff ...
School meal standards.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2008 ... The Department for Children, Schools and Families has announced new standards for school meals in England. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Unite/CPHVA professional officer Rosalind Godson stated: 'It is excellent that the quality of school meals is going to improve. School ...
NMC nursing education.(NEWS)(Nursing and Midwifery Council )(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2008 ... The NMC will be developing a new framework for pre-registration nursing education after agreeing on a set of principles that reflects the Department of Health's Modernising Nursing Careers initiative. Unite/CPHVA Education Sub-Committee chair Margaret Wade stated: 'The proposed ...
SIG for named nurses and child protection advisors (safeguarding children).(NEWS)(special interest group)(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Unite/CPHVA members have formed a new special interest group (SIG) for members and non-members involved in safeguarding and child protection This new Unite/CPHVA SIG aims to: * Organise seminars and conferences, disseminate ...
The QNI Queen's Nurse title goes to ...(Member's corner)(The Queen's Nursing Institute)(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Former community nurse manager Kay Kane is among 12 people due to become a Queen's Nurse this month. The Queen's Nursing Institute (QNI) is ...
Carol Young: 'Queen of the South'.(Member's corner)(Obituary)(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The journal regrets to announce the passing away of health visitor Carol Young, who will be remembered by Unite/CPHVA for her signature smile and helpful nature that ensured many annual conference delegates enjoyed themselves fully, as she carried out her ...
Ready for action: at meetings up and down the country, members have been expressing willingness to take industrial action over fair pay.(UNITE THE UNION)
Oct 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] An overwhelming number of public sector Unite members attending regional activist meetings have been sharing their outrage over the 'derisory' pay award that was imposed on NHS staff in August. Unite national officer for health Karen Reay says: ...
Members set the agenda: updating Unite/CPHVA's professional agenda.
Oct 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] At the last annual Unite/CPHVA conference in Torquay, representatives attending the Annual National Professional Forum (ANPF) debated questions that had been collected from members through this journal and local professional forum Green pages. These ...
Innovations in school nursing: Northern Ireland school nursing conference.
Oct 01, 2008; ... The 9th Unite/CPHVA Northern Ireland (NI) School Nursing Conference was held in Belfast last month, themed 'Children and young people: a public health challenge?' It included government updates and fascinating input from practitioners on many innovative approaches across NI. In ...
Militating for good health care: with concerns over whether the government's new service command paper will improve health care for the military and their families, a member of an army family and a military-based school nurse share their experiences.(NEWS FEATURE)(Editorial)(Report)
Oct 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Defence Committee's seventh report of 2007 to 20081 stated that health care for service families and veterans, particularly mental health provision, needs to improve compared to the 'world-class' clinical care that servicemen and women receive. In ...
Distance learning: the future of continuing professional development.(PROFESSIONAL)
Oct 01, 2008; ... Abstract The recent development of a market economy in higher education has resulted in the need to tailor the product to the customers, namely students, employers and commissioning bodies. Distance learning is an opportunity for nurse educators and institutions to address ...
Maternal expectations: do they match experience?(PROFESSIONAL)
Oct 01, 2008; ... Abstract This qualitative research project aimed to explore maternal expectations toward motherhood and compare these to actual experience, in order to identify where expectations were not being met and inform the improvement of services. The project involved two ...
Parents' difficulties with decisions about childhood immunization.(PROFESSIONAL)
Oct 01, 2008; ... Abstract Uptake of childhood immunisation fluctuates in the UK. Convenience, access and parents' relationships with professionals influence uptake. This study explores the decision-making by parents about their children's immunisation through focus groups with analysis to ...
Eczema and prescribing: two local branch board members report on developing and running a study day on prescribing and the management of childhood eczema.
Oct 01, 2008; ... With the recently published National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance on the management of atopic eczema in children (1) and NMC Standards of proficiency for nurse and midwife prescribers, (2) this is an ideal time to update colleagues on prescribing for ...
Health without a home: through user involvement, the QNI Homeless Health Initiative has identified key ways in which health care for homeless people needs to be improved.
Oct 01, 2008; ... Many community practitioners have homeless and insecurely housed patients on their caseload. Yet it is often difficult for them to meet the needs of this highly vulnerable group, due to a lack of support and of specialist knowledge and skills. The Queen's Nursing Institute (QNI) ...
Greater risk of eczema if cow's milk introduced late in infant diets.(CLINICAL PAPERS)
Oct 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Delaying the introduction of cow's milk in an infant's diet may be associated with a higher risk for eczema, according to a large study. The prevalence of atopic manifestations has increased worldwide, especially in children. It has been suggested that ...
Young children's fever reduced for longer by giving ibuprofen first.(CLINICAL PAPERS)
Oct 01, 2008 ... Children's fever can be reduced faster if they are given ibuprofen first and then paracetamol plus ibuprofen, according to a study. (1) Fever is a normal part of childhood illness, and paracetamol and ibuprofen are increasingly used together for the relief of fever and its ...
Millions face undiagnosed heart risk.(CLINICAL PAPERS)(Disease/Disorder overview)(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2008 ... One in three people in the UK with a high risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) over the next 10 years may be undiagnosed, according to a study. As evidence of the efficacy, safety and cost-effectiveness of statins has accrued, the threshold for intervention has been halved in ...
Alexander technique offers relief for back pain.(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2008; ... Alexander technique lessons in combination with an exercise programme offer long-term effective treatment for chronic back pain, according to a study. Back pain causes more disability than almost any other condition in Western societies, but few effective long-term treatments ...
Some Ayurvedic medicines sold online contain heavy metals.(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2008; ... An analysis of Ayurvedic medicines purchased via the internet found one-fifth to contain levels of lead, mercury or arsenic that exceed acceptable standards. Ayurveda is a traditional Indian medical system. Since 1978, more than 80 cases of lead poisoning associated with ...
Poor teen sleep habits may raise blood pressure.(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2008; ... Teenagers who do not sleep well or long enough may have a higher risk of raised blood pressure that could lead to cardiovascular disease later in life, according to researchers. Childhood hypertension is associated with adult hypertension, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, ...
Infections linked to premature births more common than thought.(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2008; ... Previously unrecognised and unidentified infections of amniotic fluid may be a significant cause of premature birth, according to a study. Stanford University School of Medicine researchers analysed amniotic fluid from women in preterm labour, finding that 15% of fluid samples harboured ...
Promotion of children's mental health should be a priority.(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2008; ... Promoting stable mental wellbeing for children and young people should be prioritised, according to participants at a workshop organised by the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre, Institute of Psychiatry and King's College London. Initiatives that should be prioritised and ...
NHS pay: bodies of evidence.(YOUR RIGHTS AT WORK)
Oct 01, 2008; ... With the pay campaign on-going (see page 10), this month's focus is on how mechanisms for negotiations on pay in the NHS have developed in recent years NHS Pay Review Body It is useful to understand the role of the NHS Pay Review Body (PRB). It is a panel comprised ...
Agent Ecosse.(LIGHTEN UP)(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2008 ... Could this be mission impossible for Gavin Fergie? Working for Unite/CPHVA is not too dissimilar to employment with the Spooks. You are getting on with the work, but then the Blackberry buzzes at your elbow. The message informs you of your next mission before self-deleting in ...
Tonsillitis: this month, in the picture considers the diagnosis and treament of tonsillitis.(IN THE PICTURE)(Disease/Disorder overview)(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Tonsillitis may result from infection with bacteria or viruses. Viruses are the most common causative agent, including adenovirus and Epstein-Barr virus--the agent that causes glandular fever. Bacterial infection is most common between the ages of five to ...
Diary.(NETWORK)(Diary entry)
Oct 01, 2008 ... Early Nutrition for Later Health 22 October, Institute of Child Health, London and 19 November, Leicester City Football Club, Leicester A forum exploring the impact of early nutrition on mental and physical development, dental health and behaviour. This event will ...
Noticeboard.(NETWORK)
Oct 01, 2008 ... Accident form pathway An accident prevention public health group in Blackburn with Darwen is developing a pathway to deal with accident and emergency attendance notifications, to clarify and standardise the way that this is done by health visitor teams. We would like to hear of any ...
The right mix?
Oct 01, 2008; ... A key debate on skill mix is due to be take place at the annual professional conference in Harrogate on 20 to 22 November Skill mix has always been a feature of good health care. In hospitals and communities, war zones and disaster areas, different professionals and other skilled workers ...
More nurses needed for HPV scheme
Oct 01, 2008; ... Concerns remain over a lack of nurses and increased workloads in implementing the HPV vaccination programme, despite extra funding Unite/CPHVA is concerned that there are not enough qualified nurses to implement the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination scheme. Unite/CPHVA ...
Action for pay
Oct 01, 2008; ... Unite showed its support for the TUC campaign against the government's public sector pay policy at the congress' annual conference last month. Unite assistant general secretary Gail Cartmail stated: 'The frustration and anger expressed during the TUC congress debate on public sector pay ...
NMC Council meeting
Oct 01, 2008; ... At the NMC Council meeting last month, Unite/CPHVA lead professional officer Obi Amadi questioned discussions over the remuneration of new Council members. She stated that it was an 'inappropriate time' to discuss remuneration of the new Council, as the NMC's action plan in response to ...
Cuts leave children vulnerable
Oct 01, 2008; ... Unite/CPHV's omnibus survey has found that 69.2% of health visitors feel they do not have sufficient resources to respond to the needs of vulnerable children. Unite/CPHVA lead professional officer Cheryll Adams stated: 'So-called "modernising" policies of creating corporate teamworking ...
Get your tickets for conference
Oct 01, 2008; ... This year's annual conference held in Harrogate from 20 to 22 November has increased its programme to include speakers on Saturday. Unite/CPHVA professional officer Briege Coyle stated: 'We are very keen to demonstrate our commitment to supporting the Children's Plan. This section of the ...
Plans to improve palliative care
Oct 01, 2008; ... A new action plan for palliative care services in Scotland will be published this month, after a report from Audit Scotland stated that palliative care services need to improve. Unite/CPHVA professional officer Gavin Fergie stated: One would hope that patients with life-limiting or ...
NEWS: IN BRIEF...
Oct 01, 2008; ... Welsh 'family nurse' consultation The Welsh Assembly Government has launched a consultation into a new family nurse' role for schools. The closing date is 5 December. For details, please see: www.wales.gov.uk/health Community staff nurse competencies The Hearth Visitors ...
Child care worse in deprived areas
Oct 01, 2008; ... A report from Ofsted has found that childcare settings including nurseries and childminders have improved over the last three years in England, but standards are lower in deprived areas. Unite/CPHVA professional officer Maggie Fisher stated: 'We work locally and nationally with the ...
Cholesterol tests for children
Oct 01, 2008; ... Under new guidelines published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, practice nurses may be required to test children of families with familial hypercholesterolaemia. Unite/CPHVA professional officer Dave Munday stated: 'The new guidance is welcomed, but as with ...
Public transport rate victory
Oct 01, 2008; ... Unite has successfully negotiated new public transport rates with Lincolnshire Primary Care Trust (LPCT). Unite health sector lead officer for nursing Barrie Brown stated: 'The agreement reached with LPCT sends an encouraging message that staff should not be expected to subsidise the NHS ...
School meal standards
Oct 01, 2008; ... The Department for Children, Schools and Families has announced new standards for school meals in England. Unite/CPHVA professional officer Rosalind Godson stated: 'It is excellent that the quality of school meals is going to improve. School nurses should make sure that school meals are ...