Nurses (Hansard, 23 April 1990)

§ Mr. Stern
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many regrading appeals for nurses remain outstanding in each regional health authority.

§ Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
Information concerning appeals to employing authorities in England is not collected centrally.

§ Mr. McAllion
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list in theOfficial Report the different kinds of conversion courses currently available to nurses within the National Health Service in England and Wales.

§ Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
The English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting has approved courses to enable enrolled nurses to convert to being registered general nurses, registered mental nurses, registered nurses in mental handicap, first level nurses trained in the nursing of sick children, and registered general nurses and district nurse (joint qualification). Individual courses approved by the board can vary in a number of respects. Increased use is being made of distance and open learning approaches. Recognition of prior learning can mean that the traditional 52-week conversion course can be reduced in length to as little as 26 weeks.
The hon. Member may wish to approach my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales about the position in Wales.