§ Mr. Pavitt asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many chief nursing officer posts in health authorities in England have been abolished; if he will list them in the Official Report; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeHealth authorities are currently drawing up their proposals for revised management arrangements to implement the recommendations of the Griffiths report. We do not propose to issue detailed instructions to authorities as to how to meet this requirement and arrangements will vary according to local needs and circumstances. We are therefore not requiring authorities to appoint chief nursing officers. We have made it clear, however, that we expect each health authority to have a nurse adviser in a senior management position whose main responsibility is the provision of professional advice directly to the authority. The officer may, of course, combine this responsibility with other duties in support of the general manager. This full range of responsibilities of the officer will be reflected in the title of the post-holder.