RCN briefings
Policy briefings, parliamentary briefings and consultation responses on the issues that matter to nursing staff
The RCN works with government, think tanks and other stakeholders to ensure the voice of nursing is heard. You can get involved in policy development by taking part in surveys, workshops, seminars and briefings.
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1 Apr 2009
Looking back to look forward
This briefing provides a rapid review of the lessons from published reports on health and social care system regulation. The aim is to summarise the key lessons, particularly relevant as a new integrated regulator begins its work on 1 April 2009, replacing the previous commissions. It also sets out what the RCN view is on system regulation, and what the RCN wishes to see as key priorities for the coming years. The RCN recognises that 2009-10 is a year of unprecedented change, but from 2010-11 onwards believes that there is a real opportunity to learn from the change experience to improve health and social care for the benefit of patients, carers, staff and the public at large.
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16 Jan 2009
Assisted suicide
The purpose of this briefing is to provide members with a background to key issues relating to assisted suicide, so as to inform member responses to an RCN consultation (which ran from 16 February until May 22 2009). It details the current legal and parliamentary positions with respect to assisted suicide, which vary between the four UK countries, and also lists current arguments both for and against assisted suicide and potential issues relating to nursing practice.
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15 Jan 2009
Intergrated care pilots
The Government regards integration as one remedy for the fragmentation of services, which has been identified as a barrier to providing more effective and personalised care. The purpose of the above briefing is to outline how the Government is taking forward its integrated care agenda through the development of a number of integrated care pilots and to obtain feedback from members on the development of these pilots.
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23 Dec 2008
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) in England
In April 2009 a new regulator of health and social care began work in England. This briefing provides details on the context for the new Care Quality Commission (CQC), its functions, aims and key staff and ongoing work by the RCN to shape and influence the approach taken by the CQC.
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4 Nov 2008
Draft guidance on NHS patients who wish to pay for additional private care
The purpose of this briefing is to provide a short introduction to the 'draft guidance on NHS patients who wish to pay for additional private care' that was issued on 4 November and was then the subject of a further consultation. This draft guidance constitutes part of the Government's response to the review and the consultation on this closed on 27 January 2009.
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13 Jun 2008
Towards a strategy to support volunteering in health and social care
This briefing outlines the consultation that was carried out by the Department of Health aimed at improving volunteer support and opportunities in the NHS, social care and third sector within England. The consultation document proposes a long-term strategy to support volunteering in health and social care, intended to articulate the key actions needed to address the perceived obstacles to making a refreshed vision for volunteering in health and social care a reality. The consultation ran until 30 September 2008, with the Department of Health setting out a final strategy and implementation plan early in 2009.
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8 Jun 2008
Consent to access, share and create e-health records
This briefing lays out the background to the development of e-health records and offers guidance for nurses in practice on what implications this has for record keeping and in particular, consent to access, share and create records. This is one of series of products being commissioned by the e-health project board to meet the needs of nurses in practice in respect of e-health.
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22 May 2008
The case for change
On 12 May 2008, Gordon Brown and Health Secretary Alan Johnson launched a public debate about the long term future of England's care and support system. A six month engagement process has now started with the public and all those involved in care and support for adults to set out clearly the case for reform and to consult on a number of questions. The responses to these questions informed the development of a number of reform options, to be set out in the Green paper published in early 2009. The attached briefing is intended as an introduction to the issue of social care and the Policy Unit asked for comments from as many members as possible on this high profile and important issue.
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6 May 2008
Framework for the registration of health and adult social care providers
The Department of Health launched a consultation to seek views on the registration of health and adult social care providers, including the regulation of primary care services to ensure patients continue to receive safe, good quality care closer to home. The document entitled A consultation on the framework for the registration of health and adult social care providers puts forward proposals on which services will be required to register with the new regulator and the requirements that they will need to meet. This document summarises the RCN's response to the consultation.
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4 Apr 2008
NHS constitution debate
This short briefing introduces the White Paper on Empowerment which was published in summer 2008 and gives an indication of the range and nature of active citizenship questions that were to be considered. The Department for Communities and Local Government took the lead on promoting a wider range of engagement at local councillor level. Several prompt questions were raised for members to consider and to send early views to the Policy Unit. These were submitted to the Department for Communities and Local Government and informed the content of the White Paper.
