Untapped potential: district nursing services and the avoidance of unplanned admission to hospital

Untapped potential: district nursing services and the avoidance of unplanned admission to hospital This report describes how District Nurse Team Leaders have advanced skills in assessment, diagnosis and patient management which could be used to provide safe and effective care for people at home, preventing unnecessary hospital admissions. It argues that the NHS is failing to capitalise on the skills, knowledge and experience of District Nurses and instead is investing in new specialist teams of staff in the community, which may impact negatively on the continuity of care. At the same time, the number of District Nurses has fallen dramatically. The Queen's Nursing Institute