>This is not a posting on source code. (most of my email isn't, I've counted
>it)
>
>Under the NHS Code of Openness currently in operation, and the FOIA about to
>be law and by administrative instruction supposed to be followed in spirit by
>public bodies including the NHS administrata, the PCT is highly unlikely to
>be able legitimately to show a reason for not providing the text of that
>letter to anyone and everyone who might ask for it.
>
>So post it by all means.
OK, I'm persuaded.
"In addition I feel it is fair to pint out that funding for practice staff
(including practice nurses) is included in the global sum element of your
contract and as such the practice is funded to provide appropriate practice
nursing services to patients."
FWIW we overspent our staff budget in all recent years and have obviously
not cut back under the new contract. Our nurses are fully occupied doing
what we think they should be doing, and have no spare capacity.
We note that in another practice the practice nurses are spending something
like 40% of their time doing what we would consider to be community nursing
tasks. The PCT has promulgated a written policy during the last year
before the new contract that essentially said if a patient is mobile their
nursing needs are the responsibility of the practice.
There are other issues of course, and other arguments one could put
forward, but I guess this is of practical, professional and financial
relevance to most UK members of this list. FWIW given the professional and
governance responsibilities that are becoming more evident, and the soon to
increase cost of employing nurses I'm a little surprised that this hasn't
attracted more significant attention nationally until now.
It's actually one of those issues where practicality and principle overlap,
even though it's an issue that's crept up on us in a rather stealthy way.
Julian
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