§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will list the establishments which currently run courses of training in community psychiatric nursing; and how many students are currently enrolled at each;
(2) how many nurses have been enrolled on courses leading to qualifications in community psychiatric nursing in each of the years since 1974;
(3) what has been the annual cost of training of community psychiatric nurses in each of the years since 1974.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeI understand from the English National Board that the following establishments are currently approved by the board to run courses of training in community psychiatric nursing:
COURSE 8o5
Nursing care of the mentally handicapped in the community for registered nurses for the mentally handicapped:
- Sheffield City Polytechnic Queen Alexandra Hospital
- West London Institute of Higher Education
- Barking, Havering and Brentwood School of Nursing
- Manchester Polytechnic
- Bristol Polytechnic
- Isebrook Hospital
COURSE 8IO
Nursing Care of the Mentally Ill in the Community for Registered Mental Nurses
- Sheffield City Polytechnic
- Manchester Polytechnic
- Queen Alexandra Hospital
- West London Institute of Higher Education
- Bristol Polytechnic
- Isebrook Hospital
- St. Nicholas Hospital
- North East London Polytechnic
- Barking, Havering and Brentwood School of Nursing
COURSE 989
The principles of community psychiatric nursing for enrolled nurses (mental) or (mental handicap)
- West London Institute of Higher Education
456 - Cauldon College of Further Education
The number of people currently enrolled at each establishment is not readily available, but the total number on each course is:
- 42 on Course 805
- 164 on Course 810
- Nil on Course 989
The numbers and the costs for the previous years since 1974 are not available.
The total annual cost of the 206 students currently enrolled for community psychiatric nurse courses is estimated to be about £1.6 million. The average cost per student is estimated at £8,000. The actual cost per student will depend on course fees, which differ from centre to centre, and the salary costs of individual students whose grading will vary from staff nurse upwards.
Each student taking the course will already be qualified either as a registered mental nurse or as a registered nurse for the mentally handicapped.
§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many vacancies currently exist for community psychiatric nurses.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeWe do not collect information of this nature centrally.
§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the current rate of pay of community psychiatric nurses.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe grading of community psychiatric nurses is the same as that for nurses generally and health authorities use a range of grades depending on the duties of particular posts. The grades most commonly employed (and their annual salary scales at 1984–85 rates) are staff nurse (£5,398–£6,582), deputy nursing sister/charge nurse (£6,126–£7,561) and nursing sister/charge nurse II (£6,827–£8,751). In addition, community psychiatric nurses who work from a wholly psychiatric unit receive a psychiatric "lead" of £165 per annum.
§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of Stare for Social Services whether he has any plans to increase provision for training of community psychiatric nurses.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeHealth authorities must determine the need for any increased provision in their district. I welcome the increase in the number of community psychiatric nurses being trained and employed by many health authorities in response to the Government's policy of giving priority to the improvement of community-based services for the mentally ill.
§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the recognised qualifications in community psychiatric nursing.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe basic qualifications are either registered mental nurse or registered nurse for the mentally handicapped. There is also a series of courses in community psychiatric nursing taken as a post basic qualification, which are approved by the English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting.
§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give a breakdown by region of the numbers of community psychiatric nurses currently working in England.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe numbers of community psychiatric nurses employed in each region in England at 30 September 1982 are:
457W
Region Wholetime equivalents Northern 98 Yorkshire 88 Trent 142 East Anglian 65 NW Thames 116 NE Thames 122 SE Thames 58 SW Thames 165 Wessex 117 Oxford 85 South Western 146 West Midlands 116 Mersey 108 North Western 138 London Postgraduate Teaching Hospitals 6 England 1,569 Notes:
(1) Due to rounding there is a slight discrepancy between the sum of the regional figures and the total for England.
(2) These figures relate to all qualified nurses employed as community psychiatric nurses some of whom will have undertaken a post-basic course in community psychiatric nursing.