Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the number of school nurses.

Too many children are not receiving the start in life they deserve, and the Government is committed to creating the healthiest generation of children in our history by shifting the focus from treatment to prevention. School nurses have an important role to play, leading the delivery of the 5-19 components of the Healthy Child Programme.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care is aware that school nurse numbers have decreased, with 27% fewer now than in October 2015. In June 2024 there were 1,985 school nurses of all grades employed within the National Health Service. The Chief Public Health Nurse Office has established a programme of work which aims to improve the delivery of the Healthy Child Programme, which includes school nursing.