§ Mr. SayeedTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list those(a) health authorities and (b) teaching hospitals which are running courses designed to retrain and possibly re-employ previously qualified nurses who wish to return to the nursing profession, giving in each case the number of places and applicants for each year since such courses have been in operation, and the steps taken to advertise the availability of the courses.
§ Mr. NewtonThe information is not available centrally.
It rests with health authorities to match the provision of courses for those wishing to return to nursing with the service need. Every encouragement is given to health authorities to attract qualified nurses to return. Planning and organisation of these courses is a matter for individual health authorities, depending on their staffing needs.
Such courses are usually publicised within the community.