WIREDGOV

Some 98 nurses will be able to access training from September, compared with 45 in 2007.

The increase is in an effort to meet the Welsh Assembly Government’s objectives of providing more care in the community.

This forms part of a package that will also see an increase in the number of training places available for students wishing to enter nursing, and other healthcare professions, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, healthcare science, clinical psychology and pharmacy.

The figures have been agreed by the Welsh Assembly Government, universities, the NHS and healthcare unions.

The nursing training places include:

• an extra 180 return to practice courses – for nurses wanting to return to the NHS – over the next three years; and,
• 1,093 pre-registration nursing places – first-time degrees for students wishing to enter the nursing profession.

The training places are based on workforce plans provided to the Assembly Government by the NHS and on the extra staff expected to be needed to meet the One Wales commitments and the potential outcome of the Rural Health Plan, which is currently being developed.

Edwina Hart said that the increase in training places will help deliver on the Welsh Assembly Government’s aim of moving care closer to the patient. She said:

The staff in the NHS is its most important asset. I am pleased to announce the extra training places to ensure that we continue to have the appropriate levels of staff to meet the health and social care needs of the future.

We have worked closely with the NHS and healthcare unions to look at what our future staffing needs are and to deliver increased training places to meet those needs.

This new innovative approach to training – with a mixture of full-time courses and modules – will give us the flexibility to plan effectively for the workforce needed for the future.

Our ultimate aim is to improve the health and quality of life of the people of Wales and these extra training places will help us to deliver on our One Wales commitments, including providing more care in the community by nurses, one family nurse per secondary school and further utilising the skills of all the professionals in the health service.

David Jenkins, Chairman of the Workforce Development Unit Stakeholder Board, which makes training recommendations to the Welsh Assembly Government, said:

I am delighted with the announcement made today by the Minister on the increase in training places for the 2008/09 academic year. Prior to making its recommendations to the Assembly Government, the National Leadership and Innovations Agency for Healthcare Workforce Stakeholder Board benefited from the views of a wide range of stakeholders, and on behalf of the Board, I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the process.

Peter Finch from the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and Joint Chair of the Welsh Partnership Forum, said:

The CSP welcomes the decision not to further contract the number of physiotherapy students to be trained in Wales. We look forward to working with all parties in the future to ensure the NHS in Wales has sufficient physiotherapists to meet the needs of the service and indeed patients.

Director of RCN Wales, Tina Donnelly, added:

RCN Wales welcomes this significant increase in community nursing training places. We have campaigned for this increase and now 98 nurses will be able to access extra training. We are pleased the Minister has listened to our views. We believe that patient care will benefit from this investment. We look forward to working with the Welsh Assembly Government on the development of the Rural Health Plan and the Community Nursing Strategy.

Related Links

http://new.wales.gov.uk/topics/health/?lang=en

http://new.wales.gov.uk/topics/health/nhswales/?lang=en

http://new.wales.gov.uk/topics/health/professionals/officechiefnursing/?lang=en