This document shares the findings of a Department of Health review of the contribution community children's nursing services, as a key component of community children's services, can make to the future outcomes of integrated children's services.
To ensure that the needs of an ill and disabled children are met, four groups of children and young people have been identified as needing services:
- children with acute and short-term conditions
- children with long-term conditions
- children with disabilities and complex conditions, including those requiring continuing care and neonates; and
- children with life-limiting and life-threatening illness, including those requiring palliative and end-of-life care
Community children's nursing (CNN) services are the bedrock of the pathways of these children's care. The review aims to help both children's commissioners and providers of children's services improve services.
- Download NHS at home community children's nursing services (PDF, 1906K)
- Download equality impact screening (PDF, 73K)
Supporting information
A review of community children's nurses in England by Professor Bernie Carter, Professor of Children's Nursing and Dr Jane Coad, Senior Research Fellow
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/Publicati...
PDF version My son has been diagnosed with cancer, and I find the community nurse visits so intrusive in our lives. I have requested i undertake more of the tasks required and although reluctant, they have agreed to it. However, then I find they organise new people for me to see - teh health visitor for example..I am bombarded by authoritatrian visits and since my son is regularly staying in hospital, i really as so frustrated to see so so f our tax money going to pay salaries for jobs that make my life difficult.
I am sorry to hear about your son. I don't have children and can only imagine all that you are presently going through having a child that is very ill. For you to post 'underlines' the frustration you are facing. I read a story today in the National Press concerning a family & social services. One of the points made was that since the events concerning "Baby P", any service interacting with children has become more "paniced" and thus are over zealous. This may in part account for the interactions you face with nurses & health visitors you have to deal with and the reluctance you face in looking after your child.
Have you tried involving an agency like MacMillian Cancer Support (tel 0808 808 00 00)?
I know this seems like asking you to take on more intrusion but they may be able to help you re-forumulate the care package for your son by liasing with all the "players" on your behalf. Seems to me you may benefit from an advocate that has experience of dealing with situations like this to take the pressure off you. So your 'energies' can be directed, as you imply, where they ought to be, your son.
The package of care needs to take into account that the family will be undergoing tremendous pressures which can lead to bad health of itself. The family and home life are all part of the healthcare package for him. Often agencies focus on the person who is unwell without considering the much broader impact. MacMillian understand this.
I am sorry I cannot be of more assistance.
I hear you very well. I am exactly in the same situation, with my son being diagnosed with cancer a few months ago and myself getting more stressed in dealing with all those peoplee around him and me than from his desease. The most upsetting thing is that it seems they want to find something wrong in the way we deal with the illness and our son, like they would expect us, moms, to get crazy and desperatly looking for their help. When they saw I was not in this situation they started overpowering me and coming at home with an intimidating attitude, telling me what I should or not do and even raising concerns, this just happened, about my son's health with GOSH when absolutely unnecessary.
fortuntely I still have energy to fight with them and managed to talk with the manager but It is absolutely stressful and unpleasant to have to make your point as a mum.
Do not give up, our job is to advocate for our son and i won't allow him having any unnecessary stress.
Benefits to ill and disabled children in the community highlighted
The critical role community nurses play in ensuring ill and disabled children get tailored care and support, was set out today by Public Health Minister Anne Milton as she published a new report aimed at helping commissioners and providers improve services.
Speaking at the first National Conference on Child Health in the Community in Telford, Ms Milton outlined the Government’s commitment to providing greater support to ill and disabled children and their families. The Minister also set out how the report, “NHS at Home: Community Children’s Nursing Services should help improve awareness of the key role community children’s nurses play.
Anne Milton said:
"Every child should have access to care and services according to their unique needs. Facing major treatment, disability or long-term illness can be stressful and fearful for both children and their families - but particularly at a young age. At a time like this children want their families close by.
“For too long, services have been organised to fit the convenience of the system. An improved health service will put the best interests of the patient first - that is why we are modernising the NHS.
“Community children’s nurses are often the people that make that happen and the key role they play must be recognised when looking at commissioning and providing services. We want to make sure that can happen everywhere, whenever it’s necessary.”
The publication will also go some way towards meeting the vision for choice outlined in the document that accompanied the NHS White Paper, ‘Achieving Equity and Excellence for Children’. This vision is that children receive care that enables them to be at home with their families as much as possible and treatment that will enable them to lead as normal a life as possible.
NHS at Home: Community Children’s Nursing Services, shares the key messages important in securing a comprehensive, safe and sustainable local service and gives examples of local services already providing aspects of this.
Notes to Editors:
In 2009/10, the Department of Health embarked on a project to develop an evidence base to support potential models for Community Children’s Nursing (CCN) services, including an evaluation of the health economics and cost-benefit analysis of such services. The work focussed on the needs of ill and disabled children, including meeting their emotional health and wellbeing. The project found that few local CCN services are able to meet the needs of all ill and disabled children, but found many examples where services were improving children’s lives, for example, one parent said that:
“In 2007/08 she had 14 hospital admissions lasting one to five days. Since the community children’s nurse came in 2009, she has had only two. She has had a lot less acute admissions this year due to the nurses.”
The resulting report from this project is published today and can be found at:
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/Publicati...
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/MediaCentre/Pressreleases/DH_125502