§ Mr. MilburnTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his estimate of the shortfall in nurses in each specialty. [27281]
§ Mr. HoramThere is not a general nationwide shortage of nursing staff but there are some local nurse shortages in some specialties in some parts of the country. The national health service executive issued annual national education and training planning guidance EL(95) 96 on 23 August 1995 to inform education commissioning in 1996–97. Further guidance will be issued this summer.
§ Mr. MilburnTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many student nurse places have been vacant in each of the last five years; [27280]
(2) if he will publish figures on the nursing student intake for each of the last five years by region. [27282]
§ Mr. HoramThis information is not available centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact the English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting, which records data relating to student nurse numbers.