Nursing times
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Approximately 96,000 people are living with HIV in the UK, a quarter of whom are unaware they are infected. While in some parts of the world the number of people newly infected with HIV has fallen, in the UK in 2011 there was a rise in the number of men who have sex with men being diagnosed. HIV prevention strategies are a public health priority, while ongoing research into HIV testing in all clinical settings remains a priority. This article explores preventive measures that can be used to reduce the spread of HIV and offers advice on how nurses can contribute to these.
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The Francis report into failings at the Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust highlighted systemic failures across the NHS, with major stakeholders failing to intervene. Nursing organisations, along with all nurse leaders, managers and nurses themselves, need to make changes in accordance with the report's findings and recommendations. We suggest that the last thing the profession needs now is another campaign to change the "system" or "systems of care delivery". This article highlights the importance of nurses sharing and learning from the Francis report and illustrates how clinical governance offers a framework for gauging and measuring the healthcare culture and caring environments using the "cultural health check".