As the Chief Public Health Nurse and Chief Nursing Officer we are passionate about maximising and valuing the role of nursing, midwifery and care staff to improve health outcomes for individual people and at the population level. This is set out in the first three commitments of our national framework, Leading Change, Adding Value (LCAV) as a ‘call to action’ for our professions to promote a culture where improving the population’s health is a core component of their practice. Increasing the visibility of nursing and midwifery practice and leadership in prevention and working with individuals, families and communities to equip them to make informed choices and manage their own health is vital. Today we are delighted to share some professional guidance on how to turn the ‘we commitments’ in LCAV into ‘I actions’ for the ‘3Ps’: Prevention, Protection and Promotion.
Prevention of avoidable illness, health protection and promotion of wellbeing and resilience are critical areas where health and care professionals, whatever their role, wherever they work can take action on the major health challenges facing modern societies.
As nursing, midwifery and care staff we form the biggest workforce and have the privilege of high levels of public trust and so can make a significant difference to helping people stay well and building healthy communities. ‘Nursing Now’, the new global campaign launched this week recognizes the specific role of nurses and midwives in delivering universal healthcare and improving outcomes.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization: "Outcomes depend on how you deploy the biggest force you have, so that's why WHO believes in nurses and that's why we say no universal health coverage without nurses."
Nursing, midwifery and care staff told us they are keen to respond to our 3Ps call to action and need access to simple evidence based interventions. Working with colleagues we have developed this guidance [LCAV 3Ps Toolkit] to show how in practice, in everyday interventions with individuals, families and communities or in our leadership roles, we can take action to make a difference.
All Our Health (the population health and prevention programme for all health and care professionals) provides the evidence underpinning these interventions and opportunities to increase the visibility of the contribution of our professions to improved outcomes.
The 3Ps professional guidance sets out interventions around four key national priorities for 2018,
Meeting the challenges of
- Antimicrobial resistance
- Obesity
- Cardiovascular Disease
And for supporting
- Healthy Workforce
We are asking you to take individual action by
- Supporting the social movement for health through promoting #AllOurHealth: http://bit.ly/allourhealth and LCAV 3Ps
- Accessing the LCAV 3P guidance, taking steps individually and in teams to implement preventative practice through the relevant intervention and to promote use across all care settings and all practitioners: LCAV 3Ps Toolkit
- Use leadership roles to promote All Our Health and LCAV 3Ps as a vital contribution to integrated preventative care
- Increasing the visibility of prevention by demonstrating and measure improved impact and outcomes http://ly/everydayinterventions
- Sharing learning and ideas on the LCAV website
Thank you
Professor Viv Bennett is the Chief Nurse at Public Health England and Professor Jane Cummings is the Chief Nursing Officer for England at NHS England
