#ASchoolNurseInEverySchool Campaign

SAPHNA is calling for all school nurses and their skill mixed teams, our colleagues in aligned charities, those working in health, education and social care and parents/carers to join us in our campaign for a ‘ASchoolNurseInEverySchool. We ask that our supporters:

• Sign our petition
• Write to their local MP and ask that they support the Early Day Motion

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.

Sign our petition to Wes Streeting – Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.  Scan the QR code

To find out more go to: https://www.change.org/ASchoolNurseinEverySchool

Early Day Motion. The EDM for school nurses puts on the record the views of individual MP’s who want to draw attention to campaigns. Neil Duncan-Jordan, MP for Poole has raised the motion.

“That this House recognises the tremendous work being done by public health school nurses; acknowledges they are the only health care professional who offer access to all school-aged children and young people in an evidenced-based programme of health promotion, prevention, protection and early intervention; notes that the number of school nurses has dropped by 31% since 2009; recognises that the average school nurse now cares for an average of 2850 pupils; believes the school nursing service is in crisis with 82% of staff saying there are not enough practitioners to deliver their important duties; and supports the call of the School and Public Health Nurses Association for a school nurse in every school”.

The EDM is already gathering support from fellow MP’s and we need more to support this to increase the chance of the call for more school nurses being debated in the House of Commons. We need our supporters to write to their local MP. SAPHNA has draft a letter template to assist you.