§ 6. Helen Jones (Warrington, North) (Lab)What progress has been made in developing the role of nurse practitioners; and if he will make a statement. [142547]
§ The Minister of State, Department of Health (Mr. John Hutton)Over the past five years, the number of nurses working in primary care has increased by 18 per cent., and many of them work as nurse practitioners. Their roles have expanded to include prescribing and ordering some diagnostic tests for patients. The Department also remains committed to developing further the role of nurses in secondary care through the establishment of new modern matrons, nurse consultant posts and greater clinical responsibility for nurses.
§ Helen JonesI am grateful to the Minister for that reply, but will he tell the House how he proposes to extend further the role of nurse practitioners in primary care? Many patients find that extremely useful—it is very popular in my area. How might the arrangements for the new GP contract impinge on that process?
§ Mr. HuttonI agree with my hon. Friend that nurses have a hugely important role to play in delivering an improved range of services in the community and primary care. I know that she assiduously follows such events, so she knows that the new general medical services contract that we successfully concluded with the British Medical Association will allow nurse-led practices to be developed in GMS for the first time. That 902 will allow nurses to continue expanding and developing their role to improve services for patients in all parts of the country, including those of my hon. Friend.
§ Mr. David Tredinnick (Bosworth) (Con)Will the right hon. Gentleman ensure that nurses who have trained in therapies such as acupuncture, herbal remedies and perhaps even homeopathy will not be discriminated against in hospitals? Will they be able to use such therapies as they should—to assist patients and reduce the pressure on doctors and other nurses?
§ Mr. HuttonI certainly would not want to dismiss that. I have recently become something of a convert to some of those treatments. I had some reflexology recently and it was very nice indeed—I do not really want to say any more about that.
The hon. Gentleman raises a fair and important point. He might not have had a chance to read the command paper that has been published today on how we can make the NHS more responsive and equitable with choice. It deals with complementary medicines and I hope that he will find that our statements today take the issue further forward in a way he could support.
§ Syd Rapson (Portsmouth, North) (Lab)May I first, through you, Mr. Speaker, thank the Secretary of State for his morale-boosting visit to Portsmouth last week, which was welcomed by everyone? In welcoming the development of nurse practitioners, may I ask the Minister whether that will give nurses the authority to cope with the MRSA problem that affects most hospitals?
§ Mr. HuttonMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State raises the morale of everyone in the NHS wherever he goes. My hon. Friend makes an important point about MRSA. The chief medical officer published a set of proposals last week that will help us to get on top of what we accept is a serious problem for the NHS. I agree that a key way in which we could make a significant improvement would be to develop the authority and role of nurses, which is precisely what modern matrons are doing in our hospitals today.