SPECIALIST NURSES

That this House welcomes the report by the Royal College of Nursing into the value of specialist nurses; recognises that specialist nurses provide invaluable support for patients and their families during periods of care; notes that specialist nurses contribute to reducing referral times and length of hospital stays, reduce chances of complications following medical procedures, improve patient outcomes and experience, coordinate health and social care support, reduce rates of readmission, and assist unpaid carers to care more effectively; further notes that specialist nurses save the NHS money in the long term by improving the quality and efficiency of care; calls for specialist nursing provision to be available to all patients with a chronic or long term condition; and further calls for long-term funding for specialist nurses to be maintained and guaranteed in the face of financial constraint.