The others are:

• Putting service users in the lead of managing their care - the role of nursing and midwifery.
• Improving the health and well-being of nurses and midwives.
• Nurses and midwives leading services.
• Transforming workplace cultures and relationships.
• The need for clarity on the roles and functions of nursing and maternity support workers.
• The need to address the current confusion relating to roles and titles among nurses and midwives to make it clearer for service users.
• Spreading and embedding innovation.
• Taking responsibility and being held to account for quality and safety in patients care.
• Getting nursing and midwifery staff to actively engage in achieving best value in changing economic, environmental and technological circumstances.

Health minister and commission chairman Ann Keen said: ‘The majority of nurses and midwives already do a fantastic job working with people who use NHS services, families and communities to care for the sick, promote health and wellbeing, prevent illness and relieve suffering.

‘Yet they could be even more effective. In our vision, they are ordinary people who do extraordinary things - all their untapped potential will be unleashed.'

There will be further debate around the hot topics before a final report is produced in early 2010 for the prime minister and health secretary.