Standards
Response to The Guardian’s misleading article
The UK Association of Forensic Nurses and Paramedics wishes to address a recent article published by The Guardian on 6th August 2023, titled “Two-thirds of sexual assault support centres in England branded inadequate.”
In our official response to the newspaper, we have highlighted several areas of concern and misrepresentation in the article:
- The headline inaccurately suggests that two-thirds of Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) have been branded inadequate by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). It’s essential to clarify that the CQC does not use the same rating system for SARCs as for other health settings.
- While compliance checklists are important, they don’t encapsulate the full breadth of care, compassion, and dedication provided by the SARC teams to survivors of sexual assault and abuse.
- We are deeply concerned that misrepresentations in the article could potentially deter survivors from seeking essential support from SARCs.
- It’s crucial to emphasize that SARCs undergo rigorous inspections by the CQC and are working towards further accreditations in line with the Home Office Forensic Regulator.
- SARCs are managed and delivered by a diverse array of providers, with G4S Health Services and Mountain Healthcare being just two among many.
We have also requested transparency from The Guardian regarding the raw data used to generate the percentages cited in their article.
We encourage our members, colleagues, and the public to read our full response to ensure they have a balanced and accurate understanding of the dedicated work SARCs undertake across England.
For any further information or to access our full response see below
Response to BMA article ‘Undercut and undermined’
We at the UK Association of Forensic Nurses and Paramedics (UKAFNP) wish to express our disappointment regarding the recent article published by the British Medical Association (BMA), titled ‘Undercut and undermined’. It is regrettable to see an article, associated with two previous presidents of the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine, portraying police custody healthcare professionals as “cheaper and less-qualified”.
We firmly believe that such a portrayal is not reflective of the reality, dedication, and professional expertise that our members and other police custody healthcare professionals bring to their roles. Our full response to the article can be found below.
Text content
Free Webinar – How to Prepare for the LFFLM Part 2
For those taking (or thinking) of taking the LFFLM, two recent candidates – Thomas Bird, Clinical Lead, Surrey and Sussex Police and Jessica Isaacs, Clinical Lead, Avon & Somerset and Dorset Police – will be presenting on their experiences of preparing for the LFFLM Part 2. The presenters’ biographies can be viewed here.
This webinar is free to attend. Please either email forensic.medicine@fflm.ac.uk or click here to book your place.
Research & Quality Improvement Forum Meeting
The UK Association of Forensic Nurses and Paramedics Education Forum has a four-monthly meeting for those interested in promoting, disseminating and contributing to research in the field of forensic healthcare so that the best available evidence can be used in the pursuit of improving care for patients and improving the outcomes within the criminal justice system, alongside understanding how as practitioners we can be the best we can be. The forum is open to all, members and non-members. To join the forum and receive meeting links click here.
Back to the future: The basics in clinical forensic and legal medicine which all clinicians should know
In the 21st century, many clinicians will interact with aspects of our legal system. Join this meeting to understand the basics of what any clinician should know about clinical forensic and legal medicine, by providing an overview of the diverse ways in which medicine and law interface.
Learn how to write a statement or report for Court and document injury correctly. Also, understand what to do if you are required in the Coroners Court, requested to write a report for the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA), and what it means when the police officer says: ‘It’s a drink-drive hospital procedure, doctor’.
Participants will:
- Understand what is required in HM Coroner’s Court
- Learn how to document injury correctly
- Know what to do when police request the ‘hospital procedure’
- Explain what to do when writing a statement or report for Court
This webinar is available for on-demand viewing. The webinar recording will be available for registered event participants up to 60 days after the live webinar broadcast via Zoom. The link will be sent 24 hours after the webinar takes place.
Education Forum Meeting
The UK Association of Forensic Nurses and Paramedics Education Forum has a four-monthly meeting for those interested in developing education and training in our forensic healthcare world. Working with our wider stakeholders to develop a space for people to come together to explore if this is something they would like to participate in. The forum is open to all, members and non-members. To join the forum and receive meeting links click here.
Education Forum
The UK Association of Forensic Nurses and Paramedics Education Forum has a four-monthly meeting for those interested in developing education and training in our forensic healthcare world. Working with our wider stakeholders to develop a space for people to come together to explore if this is something they would like to participate in. The forum is open to all, members and non-members. To join the forum and receive meeting links click here.
Education Forum Meeting
The UK Association of Forensic Nurses and Paramedics Education Forum has a four-monthly meeting for those interested in developing education and training in our forensic healthcare world. Working with our wider stakeholders to develop a space for people to come together to explore if this is something they would like to participate in. The forum is open to all, members and non-members. To join the forum and receive meeting links click here.
Education Forum Meeting
The UK Association of Forensic Nurses and Paramedics Education Forum has a four-monthly meeting for those interested in developing education and training in our forensic healthcare world. Working with our wider stakeholders to develop a space for people to come together to explore if this is something they would like to participate in. The forum is open to all, members and non-members. To join the forum and receive meeting links click here.