Review: Shape of Caring review publishes final recommendations

The Shape of Caring Review report, commissioned by Health Education England in partnership with the Nursing and Midwifery Council, is published today.

Raising the Bar, the final report from the Shape of Caring review, details 34 recommendations for the future of education and training for registered nurses and care assistants.

Lord Willis, the independent Chair of the review, said: “There are 1.3 million care assistants and half a million registered nurses in England: it is vital to invest in this essential workforce.

“In the future, patients and the public will have more complex clinical needs and higher expectations than ever before. The education and training of nurses and care assistants need to reflect the changing care environment, and equip them to deliver high quality care.
     
“Today’s report makes recommendations for changes in education and training which will help to meet our future needs. I hope that it will be seen as a framework to shape the debate on how we can develop a world class caring workforce.

“During the course of this review, I have met with individuals and organisations who are already helping to raise the bar. If their innovations are replicated, they could make a profound difference to the training and education of nurses and care assistants, and consequently, to the quality of care that is provided to patients and the public.”

Jackie Smith, NMC Chief Executive and Registrar, said: “We are currently looking at our standards for nurse education. We are engaging in a range of events to understand how we can improve public protection through the standards we set. The Shape of Caring review is vital in this respect.”

Lisa Bayliss-Pratt, Director of Nursing at HEE said: ” HEE is already engaged in key areas of work which are relevant to the review including the development of a Care Certificate; pre-degree care experience and development of higher apprenticeship routes into pre-registration nursing.

“I’d like to extend my thanks to colleagues at the Nursing and Midwifery Council for their input into the review. Their drive to improve the quality of the workforce, as well as maintain standards, should provide us with a real opportunity to move forward from these recommendations at pace.”