A support service has offering personalised support to members of the public who raise concerns about nurses and midwives has been launched by the NMC.
The service has been launched after the Professional Standards Authority’s Lessons Learned Review into failings in care at Morecambe Bay raised concerns about the NMC’s performance. Anyone making a complaint about a nurse and midwife will now receive one to one support from the beginning, with a named contact available to them throughout the processes. An anonymous emotional support line will also be made available for all those who need it.
‘Making a complaint about a nurse or midwife can be a distressing and uncertain time and we know we haven’t always got things right,’ said the head of the Public Support Service, Jessie Cunnett. ‘But we’re absolutely committed to listening to people’s concerns and giving them a voice when things go wrong with their care, treating them with the respect, compassion and humanity they deserve.’
Additionally, the regulator has established an independent group of patients and family members to scrutinise the body, alongside a network of 60 NMC employees who will spearhead projects that will improve the way employees across the whole organisation communicate with people.
The support service is about much more than improving how we write a letter or answer a phone call’ added Ms Cunnett. ‘It’s about our employees establishing a relationship with those receiving care and their loved ones so that we’re able to better meet their needs and support better, safer care.’