§ Helen JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the decision by North Cheshire Hospitals NHS trusts not to allow further secondments for support care workers to train as nurses. [125797]
§ Miss Melanie Johnson[holding answer 15 July 2003]: The secondment of staff onto nursing courses is a matter for individual national health service trusts. However, enabling healthcare assistants (HCAs) to train as nurses is an important part of our strategy to increase the NHS nursing workforce.
At present, the North Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust has temporarily suspended the secondment of HCA's for nurse training. The trust is currently reviewing the selection processes so as to include more staff and to identify permanent methods of funding.
As soon as a solution is identified, the North Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust will re-open the secondment provision.