'Nightingale's Army' set up by Chichester health workers to improve care in England

The 'Nightingale's Army' initiative has been set up by Chichester-based health care workers Felicity Miles and Elizabeth Fox.

Between them, the pair have 23 years’ experience of working within the NHS, in residential and nursing homes and care in the community.

For years now Elizabeth and Felicity said they have witnessed the 'crisis in social care' around recruiting, retaining, recognising and properly rewarding healthcare assistants.

Felicity said: "It is about bringing people together to raise the standard of care.

"We started this before the crisis started but it has obviously made people more aware of health care assistants and we are looking at that in a different light now.

"Before we were seen as undervalued and unskilled.

"It is nobody's fault as to why health care hasn't been recognised it is just that we have value and the care needs to have value you with it.

Elizabeth said: "Looking to the future we have seen that we need more resources to deliver higher quality care, now is a better time than any to make that change.

"I think it is something that everybody has to look at. It's not just down to one person to change how we do things."

She added that responses from other care organisations has so far been 'really positive'.

The duo's vision includes campaigning, education and training, by 're-marketing' marketing health care assistants, establishing an educational website and a training program.

You can find out more about what they are doing by visiting their Facebook page here.