The Expert Review Body and its five subgroups have been finalising the implementation plans for the important recommendations of the group.
The restructuring of the banding system will be of particular interest to INMO members. The banding system which has been in place since 1999 determines the pay of senior nursing and midwifery managers. Those included in this exercise by the Expert Review Body include the grades of ADON band 1 and non-band 1, ADPHN, all grades of Director of Nursing – band 1-5, and the associated grades.
Entry to the professions of nursing and midwifery has also been the subject of intense review.
You can read the full report of the Expert Review Body on Nursing and Midwifery here. Please see a progress update on the implementation action groups.
Implementation Action Group 1
This IAG has been focused on Recommendations 15, 18, 19 and 21. Recommendation 15 is addressed by developing an options paper to increase undergraduate places in nursing and midwifery and access routes for a Level 8 BSc degree, including traditional pathways and a potential Level 8 BSc apprenticeship program in line with the National Apprenticeship Strategy.
The final meeting of IAG1 is due to take place on the 21st of August 2024 and a Final Action Report will be finalised, utilising the Review of the Undergraduate Nursing & Midwifery Education Reports (RUN ME), IAG1 Engagement Report and a Joint Nursing Union position paper. This will deal with Recommendations 18, 19 and 21 of the Expert Report to essentially revise the curricula, expand exposure to community and primary care settings when training in line with the Slainte Care Report.
Implementation Action Group 2
IAG2 is addressing Recommendations 7 and 8, focusing on pathways and supports for CNS/CMS and ANP/AMP roles in community and primary care. Recommendation 9 focuses on developing community midwifery with ONMSD and higher education institutes. The final action plan will be completed by August 2024
Implementation Action Group 3
IAG3 focused on Recommendations 32-37 of the Report of the Expert Review Group. The ambition of ERG was for nurses and midwives to engage and have a lead role in integrated digital health approaches enabled by the provision of appropriate technological infrastructure to enhance the delivery of person-centred healthcare.
The work of the group is closely aligned with and the HSE Digital Health Strategic Implementation Roadmap 2024-2030, which has been recently published.
The ultimate vision of IAG3 and the HSE Digital Road maps is to achieve better health outcomes that are enabled by seamless, safe, secure and connected digital health services. Importantly the INMO argues at this action group, that any IT development must be designed to reduce paperwork and support the delivery of healthcare by nurses and midwives. To this end we have continuously made the point that nurses and midwifes must be consulted with prior to the introduction of any new programmes to ensure, as the ultimate end user, the IT systems support their work and that they are not burdened, simply, with data entry that may not enhance the delivery of their care to patients.
Implementation Action Group 4
This group has examined nursing and midwifery governance issues, including job specifications for the new Executive Lead/Director of Nursing and Midwifery in the HSE centre, and health regions. The Group has also developed terms of reference for a national network of Directors of Nursing and Midwifery to support executive leadership teams. The Group has submitted its final report at this stage.
Implementation Action Group No. 5
IAG5 is examining the banding of senior nursing and midwifery managers. Negotiations are continuing, and we recently met with a large number of members who will be impacted by this process to provide an update. It is hoped that the negotiations will conclude in September, and if all matters are agreed the INMO has secured agreement as part of the last Public Service Pay Agreement that the outcome will be implemented directly. If there are matters which are not agreed, then matters will need to be referred to the Labour Court.