Growing and cooking food with primary school children might not seem like the traditional role of a school nurse, but in Lambeth nurses have been doing just that. "The idea is to give children positive images about a healthy lifestyle. We cover emotional wellbeing, physical health and nutrition," says Kate Morgan, clinical lead for school nursing at Lambeth Primary Care Trust.
The south London PCT was able to place this emphasis on prevention and public health by restructuring services. Its vacancy rate for school nurses has also dropped, from 46 per cent last year to 15 per cent this year.
It is exactly the kind of success the Government wants to see replicated across the country. In her recent review, the chief nursing officer, Sarah Mullally, said she wants to see a school nurse in every secondary school and its cluster of primary schools (News, 4-17 August). Nurses will also play a greater role in child protection and services for school-aged children if she gets her way.
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