PLEASE SIGN OUR PETITION!

The School and Public Health Nurses Association (SAPHNA) is deeply concerned about the worsening of children's health outcomes in the UK, including increases in the prevalence of mental problems, dental decay, obesity and respiratory problems. Alarmingly, children in the most deprived areas are facing the worst of these health crises. This troubling trend coincides with a marked 35% decrease in the number of school nurses since 2009. 

School nurses make a central contribution to the health and wellbeing of children and young people, helping them build firm foundations on which to progress to healthy adulthoods. As specialist public health nurses, school nurses have a key role in promoting health, preventing ill health, and providing early intervention for school aged children. 

SAPHNA firmly believes every school-aged child and young person should have access to a qualified school nurse. Therefore, we call for the Government to fund a school nurse in every school who leads the Healthy Child Programme 0-19. This would ensure each child has access to health promotion, early identification, and early intervention services, promoting their health, reducing inequalities, and elevating overall wellbeing.

A school nurse in every school is not just a preventive measure, it's an essential investment in the future wellbeing of our children. We strongly urge parents, carers, children and young people, and professional stakeholders to support this initiative, sign this petition. Together, we can stem the tide of worsening child health outcomes in the UK.

Time to Raise our Roar! 

Enough of the headlines.

Enough of the graphs.

Enough of the betrayal of children’s health.

Enough decimation of public health School Nursing.

Enough IS Enough.

#ASchoolNurseinEverySchool

 

 

 

Read our recent roundtable report, a joint initiative by SAPHNA, The Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI), and the College of Medicine. The report brings together evidence and insights about the decline in school nurse numbers since 2009, summarises the impact on the health and wellbeing of children and young people, and offers a range of solutions.

A School Nurse In Every School: Roundtable Report

Read about our Inaugural Survey of School Nursing – The Forgotten Frontline report which will unveil the realities of school nursing in the UK.

Inaugural Survey of School Nursing – The Forgotten Frontline | SAPHNA – School And Public Health Nurses Association

SAPHNA is honoured to be that the following organisations have pledged their support for the petition for a #ASchoolNurseInEverySchool

"The College of Medicine is pleased to support this important initiative”

 

 

 

 

 

We are proud to be supported by NEU

 

 

 

 

Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:

“The NEU is proud to support SAPHNA’s call for a school nurse for every school. The depletion and deprofessionalisation of school nursing since 2010 has come at a cost as children’s health has worsened, and nurses’ workload has fallen to other members of school staff.

“This year, more than four in five of our members told us pupils don’t have sufficient access to a nurse in their school. Our members see children’s mental and physical health deteriorating, particularly since the pandemic, and a lack of school nurses is exacerbating the problems pupils and educators face.

“The Government must invest in our next generation’s health and education. Training and employing a school nurse for every school will be an important step towards ensuring every child can thrive in education.”