Royal College of Nursing in Wales urges Assembly to support voluntary care

Tina Donnelly, director of the Royal College of Nursing in Wales, has written an article for Wales Online explaining the vital contribution that is made by voluntary care nurses and calling on the Welsh Assembly Government to confirm that they will continue to support the service. Around 25% of nursing care in Wales is provided by the voluntary and independent sector and most of their work is in continuing care and specialist roles such as cancer care. Patient feedback has proved that voluntary care nurses, who work alongside NHS staff, make a real difference to the experiences of patients (particularly those with long-term conditions) their families and carers. Although a great deal of their work is done in hospitals, specialist nurses also make a valuable contribution within the community by working with GPs to promote public health and the appropriate use of community health services. Unfortunately, funding for voluntary care nurses has been badly hit by the recession, with downturns both in donations and public funding, and the service’s future is under threat unless the Welsh Assembly agrees to secure alternative funding.