§ Linda PerhamTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how he intends to improve the recruitment and retention of nurses in Redbridge. [80537]
§ Mr. HuttonThe National Health Service set targets to increase the workforce in the NHS. Figures released earlier this year show that between September 1999 and September 2001, an extra 20,740 nurses joined the health service.
New targets were set by the Government, in the 2002 budget, to recruit 35,000 nurses and this will become part of the continuing drive to recruit more health professionals for the NHS.
618WBoth Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust and Redbridge Primary Care Trust are actively pursuing policies to recruit additional nursing staff. There has been an increase of eight extra nurses in primary care and community settings.
Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust has had an active international programme in place since 2001 and currently 85 nurses from the Philippines are now working in the trust, with plans to welcome a further cohort next month. 75 percent, of the recently qualified registered nurses across a range of services have successfully been recruited locally, with an expected 40 newly qualified registered nurses commencing employment within the trust in January 2003.