Select Committee on Health Written Evidence


Supplementary evidence submitted by the Royal College of Nursing (ISTC 22A)

  The Royal College of Nursing is pleased to provide the Committee with additional information in respect of nursing and HR performance indicators, which should be included in the Performance Management Framework for ISTC's.

  We believe good health services are based on a strong workforce that is engaged, consulted and which receives proper investment and fair reward. Competent well trained staff are the building blocks for providing high standards of care. Agenda for Change and in particular the Knowledge and Skills framework provides a robust framework for identifying the competency required, assessing staff competency and identifying training needs. If these are the standards within the NHS then NHS patients receiving care from other providers should expect that the people caring for them are appraised against the same standards.

  The implementation of HR performance indicators ensures a level playing field with the NHS; facilitates integration with the NHS; encourages ISTC staff to feel part of an NHS family; supports staff involvement and development; provides for a safe environment for care delivery; and promotes best employment practice.

  Key Performance Indicators, which we believe should be included, are as follows:

    —  An HR Strategy, linked to workforce development and service delivery.

    —  An Annual Staff Opinion Survey, which informs the annual review of the HR Strategy.

    —  A mechanism for staff involvement and consultation.

    —  Participation in Department of Health staff census and NHS workforce planning.

    —  Continuing Professional Development for staff linked to an appraisal system based on Knowledge and Skills Framework (Agenda for Change).

    —  Workforce data collection, which records race, gender, age, disability of staff linked to payroll information (this would all be achieved if the ISTCs were asked to abide by the public sector statutory requirements for race and forthcoming requirements for gender and disability).

    —  Have a written equal opportunities policy and follow good practice in making appointments, staff management, terms and conditions of employment, training opportunities and promotion.

    —  Agenda for Change implementation.

    —  Monitoring hours of work for both substantive, seconded staff, and NHS staff working non-contracted hours within ISTCs—ensures compliance with the Working Time regulations—including a mechanism for sharing information on seconded and non-contracted hours staff with the NHS employer.

    —  Monitoring the application of the "relaxed" additionality policy by collecting information on staff recruited from the NHS including data on their NHS specialty area, professional group, NHS grade/pay band, and length of service individual had with the NHS.

  In respect of nursing indicators, some will be relevant to any environment in which care is delivered whilst others will be specialty specific. In identifying specialty specific nursing indicators we have made the assumption that the case mix in phase 2 will be similar to that in Wave 1. Any variation in the case mix would require a review of specialty specific indicators.

CORE NURSING INDICATORS

    —  Annual nursing audits to include performance against national programmers eg Essence of Care.

    —  Quality monitoring tools eg Qualpecs.

    —  Review/audit of documentation against accepted guidance eg Nursing and Midwifery Council guidance.

    —  Patient satisfaction measures to include response times to call bells, cleanliness of environment, nutrition, communication and staff attitude to patients.

    —  Skin care and pressure area care using national evidence based tool.

    —  Complaints concerns and near misses.

    —  Feedback from student nurses on clinical placements.

SURGICAL/ ORTHOPEDIC PATIENTS

    —  Pain and nausea control using a recognised tool.

    —  Effective and comprehensive pre and post operative patient information both written and verbal.

    —  Timeliness of admission.

    —  Programs of risk assessment using a recognised and evidence based assessment tool to include skincare, pressures area care, nutrition and falls.

    —  Monitoring of hygiene and infection rates.

Royal College of Nursing

March 2006





 
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