§ Ms LynneTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how she intends to facilitate the resourcing of major national training initiatives in health care, with particular reference to those offered by open distance learning providers.
§ Dr. MawhinneyThe national health service management executive has consistently supported the development of major national training initiatives which improve the delivery of care to patients. Such initiatives provide professional and managerial development opportunities for a wide range of NHS staff. Given the prevalence of shift and rota working within the NHS, some of these initiatives are delivered through open and distance learning.
It is the policy of the management executive to support these programmes through meeting their development costs. Decisions about the investment in training for particular individuals must remain a decision for local managers, in the light of local need to develop better services.