The chief nurse for adult social care has highlighted the power of social care nurses in supporting the ‘public health agenda’ and promote good health.
Speaking at a Social Care Nursing Advisory Council (SCNAC) event on Friday, Professor Deborah Sturdy, chief nurse for adult social care in England, said there was ‘real potential’ for the social care workforce to ‘play a role’ in public health promotion across community settings.
‘Our workforce is present in people’s homes and interacts with multiple visitors to care homes, making these settings ideal places to promote good health,’ she said.
‘By working alongside our NHS colleagues, we can contribute significantly to this mission,’ Professor Sturdy added.
Shortly after Labour came into power last year, health and social care secretary Wes Streeting committed to three ‘strategic shifts’ for the NHS which included moving care from ‘hospital to community’, as well as shifting the NHS from ‘analogue to digital’ and from ‘treatment to prevention.
In January, the government announced plans to launch an independent commission to ‘rebuild’ adult social care, but warned it was unlikely that long-term social care reform will take place before 2028.
In November 2024, the Health and Social Care Committee launched an inquiry into the ‘cost of inaction’ on adult social care reform.
