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Welcome

Professor Christine Beasley, Chief Nursing Officer, England and Sir Nigel Crisp, Permanent Secretary Department of Health, and NHS Chief Executive (England) welcomed delegates to the meeting.  

Sir Nigel said that as well as progressing important legal proposals and programmes during its Presidency of the EU, the UK aimed to develop links between the member states and with EU institutions.  The present meeting for national CNOs, who were leaders of a key group of healthcare professionals in their own countries, was one example.  Sir Nigel recognised the vital contribution that nurses and midwives made to the health of the peoples they served, and paid tribute to their ability to adapt to changing needs and take the lead in innovative approaches.  WHO's strategic directions to further strengthen nursing and midwifery globally were one example of international recognition of the crucial role those professions played.   Many CNOs also carried lead responsibility for specific wider programmes in their own countries (eg, in England, tackling hospital acquired infections) but whatever their precise roles, the work of those at the meeting undoubtedly had a major impact on the health and well-being of patient across the EU. This meeting provided a chance to share with others who faced similar issues and learn from their successes, or even failures.

The meeting's focus on the regulation of nursing and midwifery was not indicative of problems in that field.  It simply reflected the importance of regulation in ensuring fitness to practise, and patient safety, and maintaining the public's high level of trust in those professions, as well as in enabling them to contribute to their maximum potential. 

Keynote speakers

Each day of the meeting began with a key-note speech - on the first day from Mr Nick Fahy, Deputy Head of the Health Strategy Unit in the Health and Consumer Protection Directorate-General at the European Commission, and on the second day from Mr Jonathan Asbridge, President, Nursing and Midwifery Council (UK), the body set up by Parliament to protect the public by ensuring that nurses and midwives provided high standards of care to their patients and clients.

Mr Fahy provided an overview of the work of the European Union in the relation to health.   This included a summary of the history of the EU's involvement in health matters, and insights into its public health programme, and related activities which had a bearing on health (including links with WHO and other international bodies) and future plans.  These plans included possible new programme strands on responding to health threats, preventing diseases and injuries, and cooperation on health systems.  Mr Fahy mentioned existing links with stakeholders through the Health Forum and Patients' Forum and invited comments on how links could best be established with individual health professions, for example nurses and midwives.

In his keynote speech on the second day, Mr Asbridge outlined the main responsibilities and roles of the UK's Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).  Public involvement was a key element, avoiding the NMC being seen as protecting only the interests of nurses and midwives.  Lay members of the Council were involved in standard-setting for the education of health professionals, delivery of health services and how professionals were dealt with if thought unfit to practice, as well as in individual cases, working groups etc.  Mr Asbridge gave some insights into how lay and professional members had been helped to work together successfully as a single council, after the NMC had been set up. He also outlined the efforts made by the NMC to involve the wider public, eg through consultation, and special exercises to listen to particular groups. Ideas for the future included 'expert patients', 'reference panels' and consultations involving only one question.

Mr Asbridge later gave a short presentation on the work of the newly formed Federation of European Nurse Regulators (FEPI). 

Country insights into nurse regulation

Over the two days of the meeting, five country delegates gave short presentations on regulation in their own countries, with their different histories, challenges, length of time in the EU.  The presentations included information about current legislation, and other regulatory practices and issues. The presentations were given by the delegates from Cyprus, Scotland, Poland, Ireland and Malta. 

Group discussions

During the meeting, delegates had the chance to take part in two group discussions each on issues relating to regulation, giving them the opportunity to explore issues of particular interest to them in greater depth.  Each group reported back briefly to the plenary meeting.  The discussion topics were :

Dinner

To mark the occasion, a dinner was held on the evening of Monday 26 September hosted by Professor Christine Beasley, Chief Nursing Officer, England.   Some 50 guests attended, including Sir Nigel Crisp, Permanent Secretary Department of Health, and NHS Chief Executive, England, the delegates to the EU CNOs meeting,  and representatives of  international and UK nursing and midwifery organisations, and training institutes.

Professor Beasley spoke briefly, emphasising the importance of the contribution that nurses and midwives made worldwide.  She cited examples of key leadership roles nurses and midwives from the EU and elsewhere had played in the face of a wide range of challenges, for example during the recent tsunami in Asia.  She was also encouraged to see nurses and midwives influencing policy, eg at meetings of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Commonwealth and European Union.  

Professor Beasley reminded guests that their aim was not to champion the cause for nursing and midwifery for their own sake but for the benefit of the citizens who needed the skills and knowledge of those who provided round the clock care, and were particularly close to those who needed their help.  The challenge was to ensure that nurses and midwives were flexible, fit for practice (increasingly globally) and for purpose, and maximising their contribution.  Professor Beasley ended by quoting Florence Nightingale: 'For us who nurse, our nursing is a thing which, unless we are making progress every year, every month, every week, take my word for it, we are going back'.

Conclusion and outcomes

At the end of the meeting, delegates thanked the UK for organising the event, which had underlined for them the importance of bring involved with the work of the EU, in addition to that of the World Health Organisation.

Professor Beasley and the others present felt that it would be good to establish a rolling programme of CNO meetings if possible, while taking account of the existing heavy demands on everyone's time.  Finland was considering organising a meeting during their Presidency in 2006.

In line with suggestions from delegates, Professor Beasley undertook to :

Professor Beasley also mentioned the forthcoming WHO Europe CNOs meeting in December, and asked delegates to consider the request from WHO to think about sponsoring countries which might otherwise be unable to send delegates.