§ Ms. Rachel SquireTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to increase opportunities for all enrolled nurses to convert to first level registration.
§ Mr. SackvilleIt 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, we are committed to increasing the number of places available for enrolled nurse conversion as part of the Project 2000 reforms. Central funding has been made available to facilitate this.
The English National Board for Nursing Midwifery and Health Visiting has been encouraged to develop flexible options which have made it possible to reduce both the length and cost of conversion courses.