Consultation Crucial on District Nursing

03 April 2007

Consultation Crucial on Direction of District Nursing

New Zealand’s District Nurses are anxious that potential service changes could undermine their ability to continue developing new services that respond to community need.

Changes proposed as part of the Primary Health Care Strategy (2001) may see responsibility for District Nursing moved from District Health Boards to Primary Health Organisations, trusts and private providers.

The District Nurses Section of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation is concerned that transferring District Nursing from hospital community services to PHOs will fragment the service, reducing their ability to work collaboratively to bridge the gap between hospital services and primary care.

81% of District Nurses surveyed by the Section believe their unique intermediary care approach to preventing avoidable hospital admissions and supporting early discharge would be significantly reduced if they were no longer employed by DHBs.

Section Chairperson, Christine Cumming says that the flexibility to work with all GPs in a community whilst still retaining strong links with acute and specialist hospital services would be restricted if District Nursing is restructured to fit with PHOs and the private sector.

“We, the nurses who provide the care, must be involved in any decisions that impact on the way that care is delivered. Any changes must be in the best interests of improving patient care,” says Mrs Cumming.

ENDS

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