Social care nurses set to prescribe medication under new government training pilot
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The initiative is designed to speed up access to medications, potentially improving outcomes for people receiving formal care
The Department of Health and Social Care has launched a new pilot programme to train nurses working in social care settings to prescribe medication.
The Adult Social Care Nurse Prescribing Pilot is designed to streamline and speed up access to medications, potentially leading to improved outcomes for people receiving formal care.
The government also hopes to address healthcare capacity issues through the pilot, by easing pressures on GPs and hospital discharge teams.
With a total of £461,000 being made available for the pilot, the initiative will be rolled out via up to seven Integrated Care Boards (one per region).
Each participating ICB will support up to 20 nurses to complete a prescribing qualification that has been approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
The project is part of the government’s ambition for community care settings to play a greater role in healthcare treatment.
The goal is to enhance patient flow, reduce hospital stays and improve overall system efficiency.
The regions in England set to receive the funding are yet to be chosen.
ICBs must apply to take part in the pilot through an Expression of Interest application process and demonstrate that they meet specific eligibility criteria.