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Dept of Health

Answer

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what incentives are in place to discourage people from leaving the nursing profession. [209419] Mr. Hutton: There are more qualified nurses working in the national health service than ever before, as at March 2004 there were 396,359 NHS nurses, an increase of 77,500 since 1997. There are a wide range of programmes in place to support nurses in the NHS to fulfil their aspirations, to drive forward new ways of working, and to value and respect their contribution to improving patient care. These include a new pay system; the knowledge and skills framework; the NHS child care strategy and "Improving Working Lives". "Agenda for Change", the new pay system for non- medical staff in the NHS, provides a unique opportunity for improved career opportunities for NHS staff working across the range of clinical and managerial roles, which in turn will support service redesign and a modernised work force able to deliver a 21st century service for patients. An integral part of "Agenda for Change" is the NHS knowledge and skills framework, which defines and describes the knowledge and skills which individuals need to apply in their work in order to deliver quality services. It provides a single, consistent, comprehensive and explicit framework on which to base the review and career development of all staff. The NHS child care strategy is part of the wider "Improving Working Lives" programme, which supports staff, provides a healthy and safe working environment and helps them through a range of flexible working and flexing retirement opportunities manage a healthy work/life balance.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

209419; 430 c184W;430 c184-5W

Session

2004-05

Subjects

Conditions of employment Nurses Staff Resignations

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk