Written question asked by John Bercow (Conservative) on Monday, 19 December 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 9 January 2006. It was answered by Liam Byrne (Labour) on Monday, 16 January 2006 on behalf of the Department of Health.

School Nursing/Health Visiting

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the development of (a) school nursing and (b) health visiting services.

Answer: Though the detail of developing school nursing and health visiting services rests with primary care trusts (PCTs), we recognise the important role these nurses play in addressing health priorities. This was reinforced in the children's national service framework and the chief nursing officer's review of the nursing, midwifery and health visiting contribution to vulnerable children and young people, as well as in the White Paper, Choosing Health.Additionally, we are providing new funding so that by 2010 every PCT, working with children's trusts and local authorities, will have at least one full-time, year-round, qualified school nurse working with each cluster or group of primary schools and the related secondary school. Revenue allocations to PCTs covering the period 2006–07 and 2007–08 were announced in February. For the two years covered by this allocation, a total of £62 million has been identified nationally to invest in the school nurses, £20 million in 2006–07 and £42 million in 2007–08.Choosing Health also commits the chief nursing officer to work with nurse leaders and the Department for Education and Skills to modernise and promote school nursing and to develop a national programme for best practice that includes reviewing children's and young people's health and supporting the use of children's personal health guide.

Secondary information