Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the financial challenges faced by nurses in England where they take a reduction in salary for the duration of the one-year education programme to qualify as a district nurse.

Community health services play a crucial role in keeping people living healthier for longer through proactively managing health in a setting where patients feel most comfortable. Having the right workforce is fundamental to ensure this can happen and the Government acknowledges the challenge of meeting increased demand for care from community nurses.

We want to do more to support nurses, including those facing financial difficulty, who undertake the one-year education programme to qualify as a district nurse. On 9 May 2018, the Minister of State for Health (Stephen Barclay) announced that some postgraduate students starting district nursing courses will be eligible to receive up to £10,000 as a 'golden hello’. The Government announced £10 million to support this and we are currently considering how this is best delivered on the ground. Health Education England has agreed to provide funding for all community nursing specialist practice qualifications until 2020. In addition to this, we are expanding routes into district nursing by developing an apprenticeship.

Employers across the National Health Service are responsible for rostering their staff effectively, including providing cover for staff who are on training, to ensure they can deliver excellent patient care. Health Education England is currently considering how to further support the community nursing workforce.

Health Education England has advised they are grateful to Dr Bob Brown, Queen’s Nursing Institute, for raising his concerns regarding the future development of the district nurse workforce. A full written response to Dr Brown’s letter is being sent imminently.