Consultation owner: NHS England
Healthwatch Birmingham and Solihull provided a response to this online consultation on the Professional Strategy for Nursing and Midwifery, with a focus on opportunities and challenges associated with a shift towards community-based working.
Our response highlighted:
• Several opportunities arising from community working, including enhanced understanding of local health needs and the role of nurses and midwives as trusted sources of information who can support health literacy.
• Concerns about engagement and communication, emphasising that communities should be engaged early to ensure their needs shape service design and that trust is built to support ongoing participation.
• What we would expect to see in the final strategy, including a clear communication plan to help the public understand evolving roles and detailed plans for engagement to capture community insights.
Healthwatch Birmingham and Solihull will continue monitoring developments and contribute where appropriate using feedback from people across Birmingham and Solihull.