Government sidesteps cross-party call to invest in school nurses

The government has recognised the importance of school nurses in ‘prevention and early intervention’ but has failed to set out plans for expanding the workforce, following recommendations to improve investment in the profession.

It was responding to a report published in March by the cross-party Women and Equalities Committee which explored the need to ensure ‘all girls have an adequate understanding of their menstrual cycle and know when and how to seek help for period problems’.

The committee made specific calls on the need to improve the provision of school nurses, particularly in more deprived areas, where need is often greatest, and highlighted the benefits of investment into the workforce.

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In a response published this week, the government acknowledged that school nurses are key to supporting girls and young women to understand and manage menstruation, recognising how they know when changes may indicate a need for further advice or care – making them ‘vital for prevention and early intervention’.

The government said it was committed to publishing a 10-year workforce plan for the health service, but failed to mention any specific plans for school nursing.

It said: ‘The government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan, which will set out how the NHS will have the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, including children and young people, when they need it.

‘This plan will also set out how we will support staff through better treatment, better training and more fulfilling roles.’

The response also highlighted its commitment to ‘a professional strategy for nursing and midwifery’.

‘The strategy will set out a professional direction for all nurses, midwives and nursing associates in England up to 2040,’ it said.

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Recommendations were also made by the cross-party parliamentary committee that urged the government to work with the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) to ‘ensure that menstrual health is included in the standard training offer for all nurses’.

The committee called for this to be included as an ‘objective’ together with a ‘clear plan and timeline for implementation’.

Though the government acknowledge guidance developed by RCN to help the nursing community, it does not commit to working with the union and instead directs people to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

It said: ‘The NMC… is responsible for setting the professional standards of practice and behaviour for these professions, which are published in the NMC Code.’

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Plans to improve clinical pathways for heavy periods, urogynaecology and menopause to speed up diagnosis and treatment were included in the Women’s Health Strategy, published in April, which aims to ‘put women’s experiences at the centre of care’ and help ensure women are better heard and served’.

Additionally, a new standard of care will be produced to ensure women are offered appropriate and effective pain relief for invasive gynaecological procedures, such as contraceptive fitting, to address long-standing concerns around inadequate pain management.