HC Deb 16 September 2003 vol 410 cc715-6
10. Helen Jones (Warrington, North)

What progress has been made in encouraging health care assistants to retrain as nurses; and if he will make a statement. [129957]

The Minister of State, Department of Healthmember (Ms Rosie Winterton)

We have increased the training commissions for health care assistants to retrain as nurses from 1,249 in 1999, to a planned 3,340, starting training this year. That will be matched by an increase in salary support from £11.8 million in 1999 to £122.9 million this year.

Helen Jones

That is very encouraging news and an excellent Government policy initiative. However, may I point out to the Minister that my local trust has simply stopped all secondments for health care assistants to train as nurses without any negotiation or proper communication with its staff? What would she say to the women in my constituency who have paid for their access to higher education courses, got themselves places on nurse training and then found themselves blocked? Are not those exactly the kind of dedicated people whom we want to encourage into nursing? Is it not a short-sighted policy for a trust to be doing that when it is having to recruit nurses from abroad?

Ms Winterton

I can well understand my hon. Friend's concern about this matter. I understand that the trust is reviewing the current situation following the appointment of a new chief executive and a new finance director—[Interruption.]

Mr. Speaker

Order. Opposition Front-Bench Members are being very rough in not allowing the Minister to address the House.

Ms Winterton

I also understand that the idea is to start the secondments again from next year. The strategic health authority is working with the trust to try to resolve the problem. In the meantime, I will certainly ask the local work force confederation development group to keep in touch with my hon. Friend about the situation.

Mrs. Marion Roe (Broxbourne)

Will the Minister tell the House what action the children's national service framework care group work force team is taking to address the current and projected deficiency in the children's nursing work force, and what measures are being taken to address the retention of specialised nurses in areas such as neonatal and children's intensive care?

Ms Winterton

The hon. Lady is right to raise the issue of specialist nurses, what more we can do to encourage those specialisms, and ensuring a career development path so that when shortages exist we can look at constructive ways of filling them. With regard to the point about the national service framework, I undertake to write to her about the details of the question that she asked.