§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many enrolled nurses in the national health service have expressed interest in converting to state-registered nurse status; and how many conversion places from enrolled to state-registered nurse status have been offered for national health service staff;
(2) what steps he has taken to create and co-ordinate a national stratagem for enrolled nurse conversion courses; and what funding is available for the provision of enrolled nurse conversion courses.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyIt is for regional health authorities, in consultation with employers, to plan for enrolled nurse conversion as part of their responsibility for identifying the level of demand for qualified nurses and for allocating appropriate budgets.
In addition, plans submitted to the Department for the implementation of Project 2000 nurse training are expected to contain firm proposals to increase the number of conversion places. Central funding has been made available to facilitate this.
456WThe number of conversion courses approved by the English national board has increased from six in March 1985 to 241 in April 1991. Flexible methods of conversion have also been introduced which will help speed up the rate of conversion. The United Kingdom central council has changed its rules to allow enrolled nurses who have failed first level training three times to have three further attempts at passing their examinations.
Figures are not held centrally on the numbers of enrolled nurses who have expressed interest in converting to first level status, or on the number of conversion places which have been offered for national health service staff.
§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the effect of the placing of adverts for grade D nurses only on the right of other enrolled nurses to apply for posts in the national health service; and what provisions are included in Whitley council agreements governing the placing of adverts for D grade nurses only.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyIt is for health authorities to determine the appropriate grading for advertised nursing posts, in the light of the grading definitions agreed by the Nursing and Midwifery Staffs Negotiating Council, and to decide what qualifications and experience are required. It is open to any nurse who meets those requirements to apply for such a post.
§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what effect the merging of nursing departments arising from implementation of Project 2000 has on restricting the number of nursing places available for conversion courses.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyWe have no evidence to suggest that the merging of colleges of nursing has restricted the number of nursing places available to enrolled nurses for conversion courses.