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<p>Community health care services are a crucial part of the health and social care
system that allows patients to be cared for at the right time in the right place.</p><p>NHS
Digital data shows a reduction in the number of full time equivalent district nurses
in England from 7,546 in September 2010 to 4,587 in May 2018. These include staff
working in hospital trusts and clinical commissioning groups, but not staff working
in primary care or in general practitioner surgeries, local authorities or other providers.
The number of district nurses in independent healthcare providers increased by 273,
from September 2010 to September 2017. As a result of changes made in 2009 to the
ways in which community services are provided – i.e. from a range of different types
of provider – this does not represent the full picture and there will be a number
of district nurses providing National Health Service services in organisations that
do not provide a return to the Electronic Staff Records.</p><p>The training of new
district nurses is important in maintaining a workforce that can deliver the needs
of the population in the community. Health Education England has commissioned and
funded the District Nursing Specialist Practice Qualification at a steady state over
the last six years. These are based upon the requirements that local providers have
informed Health Education England. However, year on year these commissions are not
fully taken up and therefore Health Education England is working to better understand
the reasons this may be.</p><p>Health Education England is now exploring the capacity
and capability required of our community workforce to best meet the future needs of
the population. Health Education England is evaluating the skills and knowledge required
within the wider community workforce including district nurses. This has involved
extensive engagement across England to understand how best to meet to needs of the
local population, as well as develop a role that has a more desirable career pathway
for prospective healthcare professionals. The Government is also supporting incentives
for postgraduates who go on to work in community nursing roles, including ‘golden
hellos’.</p><p>Patient safety remains a key priority for the Department and in 2017
we restated our commitment to the NHS being the “safest healthcare system in the world”.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) assesses all registered providers that deliver regulated
activities against the Fundamental Standards, below which the standard of care must
not fall. Staffing is one of the Standards, and the CQC inspections check that sufficient
numbers of suitably qualified, competent, skilled and experienced staff are deployed
within service providers. To this effect we would expect providers to continue to
ensure patient safety in the community.</p>
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