Heath Education England (HEE) announced on Tuesday, 11th October 2016 that a partnership between healthcare providers and higher education organisations had been successful in its bid to become a ‘test-site’ for putting the new role of Nursing Associate through its paces.

It means that Chesterfield Royal Hospital, Derbyshire Community Health Services, Derbyshire Healthcare and Derby Teaching Hospitals – working with the University of Derby – will lead the way in implementing the new education programme as part of a national pilot for this pioneering route into a nursing career. In the first instance 36 students will be recruited to the training position across the four organisations.

The education and training programme for the role enables them to work within the nursing team at a level which fits between other healthcare support workers and fully qualified nurses. The focus of the role will be to provide hands-on compassionate patient care.

These first students are part of a national cohort of 1,000, and are expected to start their two-year Nursing Associate programme in December 2016.

Lynn Andrews, Director of Nursing & Patient Care at Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust comments:-

“We are delighted to be working in partnership as a national test-site. This is an exciting opportunity to give our people the chance to learn and develop front-line nursing skills ‘on the job’. They will strengthen our ward teams and provide safe, high-quality and person-centred care to our patients, through our proud to CARE values of compassion, dignity and respect. To ‘grow your own staff’ through a comprehensive and on-going education programme is the best way to provide support and development, and helps to retain a valuable workforce.”

Carolyn White, Chief Nurse & Director of Quality from Derbyshire Community Services NHS Foundation Trust agrees:-

“This is a pioneering career path and builds on all the options we currently have available that allow progression from the apprenticeship level upwards. As part of this initial pilot, existing staff with care certificates (including health care assistants) will have the opportunity to work towards a Nursing Associate qualification. We are looking forward to being part of this new role’s development and to shape how it will look in future.”

The Government announced its intention to create this new opportunity to work in nursing in 2015, as part of plans to modernise workforce models across the NHS and ensure that the challenge of recruiting much needed nursing staff could be met. A consultation on the proposals was held by the HEE earlier this year, attracting over 1,000 responses from individuals including patients, members of the public and a wide range of professional bodies, trade unions, health care and social care providers and commissioners of healthcare. All these views and opinions have been factored in to the pilot phase, which will be party to on-going review as training progresses.

Cathy Winfield, Director of Nursing at Derby Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust says:-

“All our organisations firmly share the view of Health Education England.

“Nursing Associates will augment, supplement and complement qualified nurses, allowing them to use their specialist training to focus on clinical duties and take more of a lead in decisions about patient care. The Nursing Associate pilot offers another route in to nursing and that can only be a positive for patients and the NHS.”

Carolyn Green, Director of Nursing and Patient Experience at Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, says:-

“Any opportunities and investment we have to ensure effective family and patient care are very welcome and I am confident that this pilot will bloom in our region. Educational developments and expanding career pathways, whilst evidencing the impact and the adding value to the NHS are core to this development and I am pleased that we have been successful in our joint partnership.”

Chesterfield students were celebrated at the 2016 DSSA Sports Awards held at at Chesterfield FC’s Proact Stadium this week.

Tupton Hall School Under-13 Girls Football Team were awarded ‘Highly Commended’ in the Secondary School Team of the Year. Whilst sisters Alicia Barrett and Ella Barrett, both athletes and from St Mary’s High School, also enjoyed success being awarded highly commended in the Sportsperson of the Year category after exceptional seasons.

The same honour was also bestowed on the Silver Young Ambassadors from The Outwood Academy, Newbold in the Secondary School Young Leader of the Year section.

The evening was supported by DSSA partners the University of Derby, represented by Vice-Chancellor Kath Mitchell, who said:-

“We feel that the link between us at the university and the DSSA is very important in helping to develop sport across the county.

“What we have seen in the award ceremony is that we have so many people, particularly in their schools, committed to supporting sport. We’re hoping to work together even more closely in the future so we can deliver an even better service to our communities.”

The event opened with a performance from the Tintwistle Primary School Cheerleaders and also included interviews with Alfreton’s Chris Cohen CBE, who talked about his officiating at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and Swadlincote swimmer Lewis White, who won a Paralympic bronze medal aged 16.

Most people don’t recognise when they are being targeted by online fraudsters according to figure released today.

Almost one-in-nine respondents to a police-led survey in the East Midlands said they didn’t believe they’d been targeted.

But when questioned more closely it was found that 73% of them had been targeted in some way.

The most popular method was through emails – either containing phishing bugs or urging the recipient to visit dodgy websites – through which personal information could be stolen.

Nearly half of the respondents (43%) said they felt the matter was too trivial to report to police.

East Midlands Chamber has been working closely with the police and other authorities to raise awareness of cyber crime and the need to report instances so that its full extent can be monitored.

Andy Watterson, the Chamber’s lead on cyber crime, said:-

“It’s worrying that despite repeated warnings people still don’t recognise cyber crime or when they are a victim of it.

“Never open emails unless you know who they’re from, never open attachments even if you know who they’re from unless you are expecting them and never click through to links to websites you don’t recognise.

“Always make sure your anti-virus protection is up to date and if you are targeted, please report it. It’s only through reporting incidents that the police and other agencies can fully determine the extent of the problem and then take steps to eradicate it.”

The research was released to coincide with Get Safe Online Day 2016.

East Midlands Chamber is working alongside the police and De Montfort University to collate data on cyber crime.

Ashgate Hospicecare are pulling out all the stops with its ongoing sponsor a nurse campaign to ensure more nurses are able to provide care in the hospice and reach patients across the county in their own homes.

Elaine Green, Community Specialist Nurse, at Ashgate Hospicecare is passionate about the difference her and her colleagues can make. She says: –

“We visit people at home to ensure they have the medicine and equipment they need to avoid being in any pain or discomfort which could lead to a hospital admission.  We all want to be at home when we are poorly and the same is true for our patients.  The sad reality is that we can’t always help everyone who needs us because we don’t have enough nurses.  A number of our patients are in the last days or weeks of their life so they can’t afford to wait!”

Ashgate Hospicecare community nurses visit 4500 patients in their own homes each year. The support of the local community has significantly helped the hospice to continue offering its services whilst providing symptom and pain management in a variety of settings.

Peggy Drury, a patient at Ashgate Hospicecare describes how important they are. She said:-

“The nursing staff, or ‘Ashgate Angels’ as I call them, are unbelievable. They’re there to help you get better and aren’t just working for the pay cheque at the end of the month. They’re all very friendly and helpful and nothing is too much trouble for them. They went out of their way to make me feel comfortable.”

Amy Bannister, whose granddad was cared for at Ashgate Hospicecare, said:-

“When you look back, it’s blatantly obvious the nurses were looking after the relatives too. They treat the whole patient there, even the personality. They knew granddad liked having a laugh so they’d come in and play along with him. They got to know his character.”

Ashgate Hospicecare nurses want to be there for every person who needs hospice care, whether that’s in the hospice or their own home. You can help fund an Ashgate Hospicecare nurse and sponsor a nurse today by visiting www.ashgatenurses.org.uk for as little as £3 a month.