04.05.11
Health visitor spending diverted from training budgets
A Government commitment to recruit thousands more health visitors with £577m of investment is being undermined by trusts which are shifting money from existing training budgets.
The Nursing Times reported that strategic health authorities say there is no ring-fenced money to meet the Government target, forcing SHAs to find the money from current training budgets.
The Royal College of Nursing acting education advisor Gill Robertson was quoted as saying: “We’re bitterly disappointed this money hasn’t been spent on educating nurses. It’s a short-term gain for a long-term loss. We can’t reduce training for any member of staff without it affecting patient care.”
The NHS Yorkshire and the Humber board document from early April, referring to the health visitor commitment, said: “To meet this higher level of spend, the SHA will need to reduce spending in other areas of non-medical training and/or medical and dental training, both post-graduate and under-graduate.”
Tell us what you think – have your say below, or email us directly at [email protected]