Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), Chief Nurse Directorate
WHO Collaborating Centre for public health nursing and midwifery
WEBSITE

DIRECTORS

Wendy Nicholson, MBE, Deputy Chief Nurse Children, Young People & Families

STAFF

Gillian Turner

Orla Corbisiero

At WHO’s request, the proposed institution will support WHO in strengthening disease prevention, health promotion and build resilience in health care systems, and in generating evidence and frameworks of practice for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals.

In agreement with WHO, the proposed institution will provide support to WHO in collating and collecting evidence about the nurses’, midwives’ and allied health professional’s role and impact across the life course. 

Under WHO’s leadership and at its request, the proposed institution will provide technical assistance and support WHO in informing the development of policy advice, about public health nursing, midwifery and allied health professionals.

This institution is a member of the
WHOCC MIDWIFERY NETWORK

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

    • WHO CC Case Study/ Practice Example Library – We continue to expand the compendium of case studies of good nursing and midwifery practice in promoting good maternal health outcomes which are validated and peer reviewed. Themes of published studies available via a digital platform, define the role nurses and midwives have undertaken. For example- the impact of nutritional education programmes, delivery of mental health programmes in schools, smoking cessation support to family members and lessons learnt from covid19 response.
    • Technical Advisor Programme & Technical Advice- Technical advisors are involved in developing an evidence-based approach linked to the ‘High Impact Areas’ developed by PHE, which illustrate the contribution of the public health nurse’s impact on health and wellbeing and improving outcomes for children, families and communities. This network of professionals with clinical experience and expertise in nursing, midwifery and allied health continues to thrive and contribute to the work of the WHO CC with the submission of case studies and provision of technical advice. Existing membership is currently under review with the intention to expand. We also continue to provide technical advice to requests and participated in member state meetings.
    • Sustainable Development Goals resource – We have developed an interactive, evidence-based resource demonstrating the nurse, midwife and allied health professionals’ input at individual, community and population levels to apply the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals and Convention on the Rights of the Child in-line with the Public Health England All Our Health Framework. This resource will support practitioners and health professionals to implement the sustainable development goals in daily practice. Due to be published April 2021.
    • Mapping to other WHO Collaborating Centres – We continue to build and establish links and develop relationships with WHO European region nursing and midwifery collaborating centers to assist with the design of a maternity and child health prevention pathway for nursing and midwifery interventions, through a mapping resource.
    • Academic Network – The academic network continues to generate evidence supporting technical advice responses. Membership is currently under review with the intention to expand. This network will continue to generate a contemporary evidence base for the national and international development of public health practice, capacity and capability to prevent avoidable illness and promote wellbeing and the education of nurses, midwives and allied health professionals through research, learning and knowledge transfer.

ANNUAL REPORT 2020

    • The academic network continues to generate evidence supporting technical advice responses. We have a narrative review (report) outlining the research, literature and evidence regarding models and frameworks that public health nurses/midwives use to deliver their public health activities. We have provided technical advice to over 40 requests and participated in member state meetings including; European Chief Nursing Midwifery and WHO CC Meeting in Athens, Greece – Oct 2018, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare Government of India, Faculty of Public Health Slovenia, WHO Kyrgyzstan national primary health care/family medicine congress and Lithuanian Health Care Ministry providing advice and support the development of standards for Nursing

        • Terms of Reference 1
          • The academic network continues to generate evidence supporting technical advice responses.
            We have a narrative review (report) outlining the research, literature and evidence regarding models and frameworks that public health nurses/midwives use to deliver their public health activities.
          • The scoping study, identified more than 9,000 papers on initial review incorporating an in-depth analysis of 95 papers published between 2008-2018.
          • Key findings:
            A lack of long term investment and insufficient data for statistical analysis.
            A focus on student rather than qualified nurses/midwives; developing rather than testing theory and a lack consistency in the use of models or frameworks meaning it is not possible to identify one specific model or approach.
          • Based on the findings, future research should:
            Consolidate existing models and frameworks, rather than creating new ones.
            Invest in long-term robust research using large samples and adequate controls.
            Test the use of models and frameworks using context specific health outcome measures.
          • Options to publish the report are being explored.
        • Terms of Reference 2
          • Evidence-based pathways and case studies relating to prevention, population health and health inequalities linked to the SDGs are being developed and will be published July 2020.
          • Technical advisors are involved, building on an evidence-based approach linked to the “˜High Impact Areas” developed by PHE, which illustrate the contribution of the public health nurse’s impact on health and wellbeing and improving outcomes for children, families and communities. Developing case studies/practice examples continues, covering a range of public health nursing/midwifery interventions. Further case studies are currently under review and development of a digital platform to host the examples will be available from January 2020.
    • WHO Global Conference, May 2019: “Global perspectives on tackling public health issues”
    • A global conference held at the Liverpool John Moore University, England, provided insight into global perspectives and challenges for the populations health and wellbeing whilst raising awareness of the 2030 agenda for sustainable developments
    • Global conference on Public Health Nursing: Nov 2020
    • The Australian Centre for Public and Population Health Research (ACPPHR) houses trans-disciplinary applied public health and population health researchers who are committed to social justice in improving the health of Australia’s vulnerable populations and socioeconomically disadvantaged and under-served communities.
    • The Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM) is the world-leading public health research centre focused upon critically investigating and analysing a broad range of consumption, practice and policy issues around, traditional, complementary and integrative health care in Australia and globally. 
    • Improving Palliative, Aged and Chronic Care through Clinical Research and Translation (IMPACCT) focuses on interdisciplinary collaborative research optimising the health and wellbeing of individuals living with life-limiting illnesses and their families. https://www.uts.edu.au/research-and-teaching/our-research/impacct

ANNUAL REPORT 2019

The Academic Network progress update:

    • Representation from approx 50 UK Higher Education Institutions
    • 17% increase in membership as seen in the increase in the number of contracts issued
    • Creation of an electronic platform system to facilitate communication between network members
    • Commissioned scoping study for public health nursing and midwifery frameworks and models now completed. This will be used to inform future work about the education/learning and practice development requirements for nurses and midwives.

Development and design of maternity and child health prevention pathway update:

    • Structure and presentation of the pathway is progressing well with engagement and direction taken from WHO CC technical advisors.
    • Collaboration with other CC’s being explored

Support application of pathway with case studies update:

    • Electronic platform to access case studies in development.
    • Case studies continue to be collected and validated.
    • Animation “how to write a case study” in development
    • Successful recruitment to a further two cohorts of technical advisors

Policy advice and technical assistance

    • WHO document review on air pollution and child health – professional advice given
    • Public health nursing engagement in the use of Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 – presented at conference
    • WHO CC University of Michigan, School of Nursing – Automated Crash Notification technology course – reviewed
    • 2018 Partners’ Forum, Maternal Newborn Child Health- presented at conference
    • WHO Essential Newborn Care Training Materials- reviewed
    • Global Health work in the UK Overseas territories on Mental Health and Obesity. Strengthening territory Child Measurement programme (NCMP)- professional advice
    • Global conference 14th and 15th May 2019 – Translating evidence into action, using evidence to underpin health promotion practice to improve health and wellbeing outcomes
    • The Australian Centre for Public and Population Health Research (ACPPHR) houses trans-disciplinary applied public health and population health researchers who are committed to social justice in improving the health of Australia’s vulnerable populations and socioeconomically disadvantaged and under-served communities.
    • The Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM) is the world-leading public health research centre focused upon critically investigating and analysing a broad range of consumption, practice and policy issues around, traditional, complementary and integrative health care in Australia and globally. 
    • Improving Palliative, Aged and Chronic Care through Clinical Research and Translation (IMPACCT) focuses on interdisciplinary collaborative research optimising the health and wellbeing of individuals living with life-limiting illnesses and their families. https://www.uts.edu.au/research-and-teaching/our-research/impacct