Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Philip Dunne and Marcus Fysh

Tuesday 19th December 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Marcus Fysh (Yeovil) (Con)]

There are many very committed individuals working in health and social care services in Somerset, but one challenge is getting enough registered nurses into the system to allow them to integrate. What can the Minister do to help to get more registered nurses?

[Mr Dunne]

My hon. Friend will be aware that last week we published the workforce strategy. One major focus was on meeting the Secretary of State’s commitment to increase the number of registered nurses by 25% and to broaden the routes into nursing. There is a commitment to expand the nursing associate role, which is helping to provide opportunities, through an alternative route, for healthcare support workers to become registered nurses.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Philip Dunne and Marcus Fysh

Tuesday 4th July 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Marcus Fysh (Yeovil) (Con)]

6. What steps are being taken to broaden routes into nursing.

[The Minister of State, Department of Health (Mr Philip Dunne)]

Developing new routes into nursing is a priority for the Government. That is why we launched, as the Secretary of State set out, both the new nursing associate role and the nursing degree apprenticeship earlier this year. They will open new routes into the registered nursing profession for thousands of people from all backgrounds and allow employers to grow their own workforce from their local communities.

[Mr Fysh]

My constituents welcome the manifesto commitment to expand the number of clinical staff for mental health. What more can my hon. Friend say about plans for mental health nurse training and how they will benefit dementia services, in particular, in my constituency?

[Mr Dunne]

Health Education England’s “Workforce Plan for England” for 2016-17 indicated an increase of more than 3% in the number of mental health nurse training places. It stated:

“The current level of mental health nurse training is the highest of any nursing branch as a percentage of the workforce it serves”,

which should allow for an increase of some 22% to more than 8,000 full-time equivalent staff members in the mental health workforce by 2020.