The Unite/Community Practitioners and Health Visitors Association saidlast week that proposals set out in a Department of Health consultationon a new career framework for nursing risks 'dumbing down' the role ofhealth visitors by axing specialist training.
In its response, Unite/CPHVA said, 'The proposed framework does notprovide a career pathway for the nurse who wishes to progess his/hercareer in terms of specialist practice, whether this be a healthvisitor, district nurse, school nurse or community children'snurse.'
The union's professional officer Rita Newland said, 'The Department ofHealth makes a clear statement in the framework it's offering that therewould no longer be specialist practice education programmes.'
Currently, nurses or midwives train to qualify as health visitors over ayear at degree level, sponsored by their Primary Care Trust, whichreceives funding from the strategic health authority.
Ms Newland said there was a danger that 'training on an ad hoc basiswill dilute the quality' of the service. 'What this will mean ineveryday terms is that families and communities may not in futurereceive the level of specialist community nursing care they currentlyenjoy.'
The Government is piloting Family Nurse Partnerships, which Ms Newlandsaid could replace health visitors.
The Government consultation Towards a Framework for Post- RegistrationNursing Careers, which ended last week, is part of the wider ModernisingNursing Careers programme.
Further information: 'Music Therapy at Coram: Research into practice' isat www.coram.org.uk.
