Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru	National Assembly for Wales
Y Pwyllgor Iechyd, Gofal Cymdeithasol a Chwaraeon	Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Ymchwiliad I wasanaethau Nyrsio Cymunedol a Nyrsio Adal	Inquiry into Community and District Nursing services
HSCS(5) CDN AI 04
Ymateb gan unigolyn	Evidence from an individual

•           Do you feel there are enough senior nurses, nurses and HCSWs in your team to care for patients effectively?

We have a part time band 7 lead with an SPQ.

- And a vacancy for a band 6 that has been empty for a year. The vacancy can’t be filled as the band 8 won’t hire anyone without an SPQ- she also won’t allow anyone to be released to complete the SPQ. I see leaders halting the progression of staff in order to cut costs and keep band 5 numbers sufficient.

We have HCSW that do not have a clear role and boundaries and are mistaken for registered nurses. 

I would like less managers, a better focus on team working and less of a dictatorship approach from above.

•           Do you have enough time to care for patients effectively?

This differs from one day to the next. Poor communication systems make it hard for us to refer to other services easily.

Due to the lack of computers our fastest method was fax, but now this has been stopped it has made communications more difficult.

•           Does your team have enough administrative support?

Our team shares an admin with another team.

Meaning that admin has twice the work.

Our office is not always attended. If the admin is off no replacement is provided.

•           Do you have the right technology such as a handheld device to support your work?

Most of the team have blackberry’s, years old, that don’t work sufficiently. The office only has 2 desktop computers for the whole team to share. Laptops were provided but we were expected to tether them to an unreliable blackberry to get internet access using a complicated method involving many numerical codes.

We have no computerised system for documentation- it’s all paper.

•           What would help you do your job?

-Computerised system for documentation

-system to support  communications

- focus on training and support for band 5 nurses to enable them to work effectively to their potential

- clear, defined roles for HCSW

-less dictatorship from leaders

-suitable, well equipped base