Guest guest Posted June 18, 2002 Report Share Posted June 18, 2002 Thanks , I have pulled a copy so that I can read it thoroughly and add a swift letter to the pile at NMC Ruth > from: Houston <annamhouston@...> > date: Mon, 17 Jun 2002 21:07:10 > to: > subject: Re: for Ruth > > It is terrible when you are trying to catch back in, its like going off on > holiday and having difficulty remembering your name on your return so > Ruth here is a reprint of the letter I sent last week re the NMC. I would > like to take this opportunity to everyone who took time to reply I feel > quite buoyed up by the response, If you haven't yet - please it isn't too > late. One line will do! I am saving every comment, because it is so > important. Thank you Thank you Thank you, and well done all for joining in! > > ps this reprint is also for the new joiners from the Newmarket day, welcome > onboard > > Head of Communications > Nursing and Midwifery Council > 23 Portland Place > London > W1B 1PZ > > > Research & Development Department > The Link Centre > St ’s Hospital > Hornchurch > RM12. 6RS > 10.06.02 > > > > Dear Stuart Skyte, > > Re: The failure of the NMC to include health visiting in the New Code of > Conduct or the NMC News > > Thank you for your reply dated 22.05.02. I was most surprised to receive a > response from yourself and not the NMC President to whom I sent the letter. > I would like to draw attention to the fact that I found the tenor of your > response unhelpful. I was seeking clarification and help to understand why > health visiting did not appear in either of these seminal documents. I would > like to comment here on your reply. > > With regard to the NMC, I am most heartened that you think ‘all those on its > register are of equal importance and value’. That was precisely my thought > when I first wrote to the President highlighting the serious omission of > health visiting, currently a distinct registrant group, from any of the > pages in the NMC News or more importantly from the Code of Conduct. > > In mentioning the Code of Conduct you say, > > ‘we took the decision to refer to those on the register as practitioners, > registrants or nurses and midwives’ > > Mr. Skyte could you please specify who the ‘we’ refers to in this context? I > would also like to know was there appropriate consultation, with health > visiting Council members, in respect of this important decision? I am asking > was this a failure to consult health visiting members over the use or not of > the health visiting registrant title in the new NMC printed material or an > over-ruling of one registrant group by another. Again I can plainly see that > health visitors are excluded. > > Health visiting is currently a distinct registrant group. There are 15,000 > health visitors working in the NHS taking responsibility for the health and > welfare of approximately 3 million children, their families and the wider > community. To suggest as you do that > > ‘referring constantly to the mouthful, ‘nurses, midwives and health > visitors’ > > as a sole reason for not using the title of a registrant group is shocking. > What is at issue here is not whether something is a ‘mouthful’. The previous > code represented, ‘equally’ the 3 registrant groups in an open and > professional manner that was helpful to the public who need to know and > understand where to go and how to make a complaint about any registered > health professional about whom they have concerns. Post ‘Shipman’ the health > visiting profession in common with other primary care professionals1 wants > to add to openness and transparency in current systems not create > difficulties for the general public in their understanding of where to go > with their concerns. > > You go on to say that the previous Code of Conduct was ‘riddled’ with the > phrase ‘nurses midwives and health visitors’. I am saddened that you find > this irksome; again I can only say that it reflects the presence of 3 > important and distinct registrant groups. > Lest you think I am making a fuss over something trivial, let me remind you > of the ministerial position after the NMC Order went through the House of > Lords, > > ‘professional regulation for health visitors is fully preserved in the > legislation I am confident that providing for enabling, rather than > prescriptive, legislation will allow health visiting greater flexibility to > develop within its key public health role in line with patient and service > needs’ 2 > > ‘the legislation provides for a separate part of the register for Health > visiting and the protection of their professional title. This guarantees > that health visitors can set up and name their own part of the register and > set their own training and practice standards giving health visitors far > more control over this than they do at the present’ 2 > > Minister of State Rt. Hon. Hutton MP > > This clear unequivocal governmental line provides for health visiting now > and in the future. I require further information and explanation if this > position no longer holds true. It seems to me that what the Minister was > recognising is the fact that health visiting is a profession in its own > right with a distinct body of knowledge that is different from Nursing and > Midwifery and has been gathered over a 140 year history. There has been a > register for health visiting since 1929 and the profession have had > standards of education and training in place to protect the public since > 1945. From my own experience as a nurse midwife and health visitor I can > testify to the inherent differences that exist across these three > professions and the distinct and different trainings that I, in common with > many others, undertook to qualify for 3 separate registrations. > > > In reading your first publications it was my great fear that the lead from > the Minister had somehow been disregarded in the scramble to streamline. His > assurance in December 2001 was, > > ‘the NMC Order does offer the protection of health visitors registered > status’3 > Minister of State Rt. Hon. Hutton MP > > > There are many things that I feel encouraged about and hope that the > President will help health visitors to achieve, for instance it was stated > very clearly in the Lords debate that the health visitor members can choose > to call their register ‘Health Visiting Register’ and to call themselves > ‘Health Visitors’ if this was the wish of the registrant group. > I remain encouraged by the Presidents words at the CPHVA conference 2001, > when he spoke in support of the position of health visiting. I am excited at > the prospect of the proposed new health visitor standards widely welcomed > from within the profession. Finally, I believe there is no place for > discriminatory behaviour in the newly founded Nursing and Midwifery Council > and I look forward to receiving an assurance from the President that as you > so rightly suggest equal importance and value is accorded to all > registrants. > > Yours sincerely > > Houston > Research and Equality Development Officer > Sure Start > > > > 1.Beecham L, (2000) Milburn sets up inquiry into Shipman case BMJ. Vol > 320:401 > 2. Senate-HVSN (20.01.02) New Member and NMC > 3. Senate-HVSN (05.12. 01) Safeguards for Health visitors in > the Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001 > > > > cc J Asbridge > B Webster > F > I White > M Cowpe > H Livesey > M Jamison > S > A > J Hutton > N Soames > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: > http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 22, 2008 Report Share Posted May 22, 2008 Ruth – What part of Houston do you live in? We have found a good organization near Sugar Land for “social understanding” classes. My son attends a private school in Houston that has been a true blessing. From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of r_woman2 Sent: Thursday, May 22, 2008 7:22 AM Subject: ( ) Re: Feeling like I'm crazy > > Oh Ruth, I'm so sorry you are going through this. I lived in Texas > for just under 4 years and experienced some of the same things you > did. Miriam, it helps just to hear some sympathy. Thanks! We're in the Houston area. Yes, I don't think you can typically get much in the way of social skills or any kind of SPED for Asperger in Texas. I think there are a few very rich districts that provide it, but that is rare as far as I can tell. i feel lucky to have a 504. It took a lot of work. I think most Asperger kids in Texas are either getting homeschooled or are in a private SPED school (extremely expensive, but popping up all over the place), neither of which is an option for me. Ruth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 23, 2008 Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 Hi Ruth which private school in houston? you seem to be happy with the school. how old is your son?r_woman2 <me2ruth@...> wrote: >> Ruth - What part of Houston do you live in? We have found a good> organization near Sugar Land for "social understanding" classes. My son> attends a private school in Houston that has been a true blessing.Hi . I live way over on the other side of the area in southernMontgomery County. I've noticed that there is a lot in the SugarLand/SW Houston area. Of course, I guess that is where the densestpopulation is at. I've noticed also that there are private schoolspopping up all over to take over the lack of services in the publicschools. They are way out of my budget however. I'm happy for youthough! That must be such peace of mind (and a lot less work!).Ruth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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