ITV News has broadcast a second programme on district nursing following uproar over an original ‘misleading’ report.
The ‘corrected’ report, broadcast on Saturday night, comes after district nurses hit back at ITV News for suggesting earlier this month that they were often unable to see patients during the coronavirus crisis.
The updated segment shows district nurse Jo Paterson visiting and changing the dressings of a positive Covid-19 patient. She said her work had gotten busier, carrying up to 12 visits a day.
Gerald, the patient treated by Ms Paterson, said: ‘I think it’s marvelous. I can’t believe they do it. A lot of people wouldn’t do it. They lift you and give you a lot of confidence. If they weren’t coming, I don’t know who would have come.’
In the footage, Ms Paterson said: ‘I don’t think any of us nurses do this job for recognition from the public. I think we do this for our job satisfaction and our patients.
‘Saying that, it is important to raise the profile of district nursing and community nursing because we want more nurses out here working with us.’
In a tweet, NHS England head of community nursing Sam Sherrington said the corrected segment demonstrated ‘how highly skilled district nurses make such a valuable contribution’.
It’s a brilliant piece, thank you @itvnews Demonstrating how highly skilled District Nurses make such a valuable contribution, working with patients and families in the community. It’s the BEST job @teamCNO_
— Sam Sherrington NHS (@SamSherrington) May 9, 2020
In the initial report, shown earlier this month, care workers told ITV News that they have taken on extra responsibilities because district nurses and GPs are often unable to see patients in the community during the Covid-19 outbreak.
The Queen’s Nursing Institute said it had contacted ITV News about the report and was told it would be ‘corrected’.
At the time, specialist practitioner district nurse Reanne White, based in Greater Manchester, told Nursing in Practice that the report ‘completely discredited the vital work district nurses do’.
She continued: ‘The report stated district nurses are refusing to visit patients. This is completely false and misleads the very people we are trying to protect.’
Nursing in Practice has contacted ITV News for comment.
