Abstract

The presentation will outline the unique leadership role that nursing, midwifery and care staff have in driving change and improving outcomes. It will outline ‘Leading Change, Adding Value: a framework for nursing, midwifery and care staff’ that was launched in May 2016 by Professor Jane Cummings, Chief Nursing Officer for England. The framework positions nursing, midwifery and care staff as leaders in designing the future of health and care and managing the challenges of today. It explains how staff can demonstrate leadership in reducing the gaps of health and wellbeing, care and quality, and funding and efficiency, whatever their role wherever they work. The framework highlights the need to focus on quality and measurement, which aligns to the national priorities in England’s Five Year Forward View – showing why change is needed and what it will look like. The focus is on reducing unwarranted variation, and delivering the ‘Triple Aim’ of improved outcomes, experience and better use of resources; the benchmarks for quality of services. Unwarranted variation is defined as differences that cannot be justified by geography, demography or infrastructure. The framework offers ten commitments that all staff can make. They align efforts to areas where unwarranted variation is evident and support the transition needed to build sustainable services for the future. The presentation will discuss how the framework can be applied within hospice and palliative care settings, to meet the needs of people near to or at the end of life to achieve the overarching ambition as agreed in partnership with National Voices and the National Council for Palliative Care; ‘I can make the last stage of my life as good as possible because everyone works together confidently, honestly and consistently to help me and the people who are important to me, including my carer(s).’