Parliamentary questions about health visiting

[Guest guest]

Health Visiting

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy

is on the role health visitor members will have on the Nursing and

Midwifery Council if there is not (a) a statutory profession of health

visiting and ( a register of health visitors. [140629]

Mr. Hutton: Health visitors will be included in the third part of the

Nursing and Midwifery Council register, which covers specialist

community and public health nurses. The Nursing and Midwifery Order

2002, requires that each part of the register must have an equal number

of registrant members on the Council. Their role will be to play a full

part in the regulation of nurses and midwives, including health visitors.

15 Dec 2003 : Column 768W

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who will be able to

use the title health visitor after April 2004. [140466]

Mr. Hutton: When the new register opens in April 2004, the designated

titles of the parts of the new register will be the protected titles.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council does not propose to have a part of the

new register with the designated title of health visitor. However,

public protection will be assured because anyone proposing to work in a

health visiting role must be registered on the specialist community

public health nurse part of the register.

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what risk

assessment was undertaken by the Nursing and Midwifery Council with

respect to public risk before removing statutory protection from the

title registered health visitor. [140632]

Mr. Hutton: The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has undertaken a

series of public consultations on its proposals made under the Nursing

and Midwifery Order 2001, including the structure and titles of the

parts of the new register. The Order recognised the expanding role of

specialists in community and public health nursing, which includes

health visiting. The NMC is proposing protected titles and parts of the

register which reflect that expanding role.

It would be interesting to know:

1. Whether the Department of Health propose issuing instructions to NHS

employers, that only people registered on the community public health

specialist nursing register may be employed as health visitors.

2. Whether the government propose sanctions against other employers,

such as local authorities, baby food manufacturers or retailers, to

prevent them employing unqualified staff and calling them health visitors.

3. Whether the government propose sanctions preventing public or

private organisations from developing courses of preparation for health

visiting, outwith the nursing register.

3. Whether new registrants, qualified under the proposed competences

for the community public health register, which will not render them

fit for practice as specialist nurses but not as health visitors, will

still be able to be employed as health visitors.

4. How the proposed, narrower competences for registration on the

community public health specialist nursing register will enable health

visiting to expand its role.

5. Why (which will never be answered!) the government are including

health visitors in a register designed to regulate the different

profession of nursing.

Any other thoughts? I don't think my list will meet the parliamentary

requirement of being non-confrontational!

[Guest guest]

Cowley wrote:

>Health Visiting

>Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy

>is on the role health visitor members will have on the Nursing and

>Midwifery Council if there is not (a) a statutory profession of health

>visiting and ( a register of health visitors. [140629]

>Mr. Hutton: Health visitors will be included in the third part of the

>Nursing and Midwifery Council register, which covers specialist

>community and public health nurses. The Nursing and Midwifery Order

>2002, requires that each part of the register must have an equal number

>of registrant members on the Council. Their role will be to play a full

>part in the regulation of nurses and midwives, including health visitors.

>15 Dec 2003 : Column 768W

>Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who will be able to

>use the title health visitor after April 2004. [140466]

>Mr. Hutton: When the new register opens in April 2004, the designated

>titles of the parts of the new register will be the protected titles.

>The Nursing and Midwifery Council does not propose to have a part of the

>new register with the designated title of health visitor. However,

>public protection will be assured because anyone proposing to work in a

>health visiting role must be registered on the specialist community

>public health nurse part of the register.

>Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what risk

>assessment was undertaken by the Nursing and Midwifery Council with

>respect to public risk before removing statutory protection from the

>title registered health visitor. [140632]

>Mr. Hutton: The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has undertaken a

>series of public consultations on its proposals made under the Nursing

>and Midwifery Order 2001, including the structure and titles of the

>parts of the new register. The Order recognised the expanding role of

>specialists in community and public health nursing, which includes

>health visiting. The NMC is proposing protected titles and parts of the

>register which reflect that expanding role.

>

>

>

>

>It would be interesting to know:

>1. Whether the Department of Health propose issuing instructions to NHS

>employers, that only people registered on the community public health

>specialist nursing register may be employed as health visitors.

>2. Whether the government propose sanctions against other employers,

>such as local authorities, baby food manufacturers or retailers, to

>prevent them employing unqualified staff and calling them health visitors.

>3. Whether the government propose sanctions preventing public or

>private organisations from developing courses of preparation for health

>visiting, outwith the nursing register.

>4. Whether new registrants, qualified under the proposed competences

>for the community public health register, which will render them

>fit for practice as specialist nurses but not as health visitors, will

>still be able to be employed as health visitors.

>5. How the proposed, narrower competences for registration on the

>community public health specialist nursing register will enable health

>visiting to expand its role.

>6. Why (which will never be answered!) the government are including

>health visitors in a register designed to regulate the different

>profession of nursing.

>

>

>Any other thoughts? I don't think my list will meet the parliamentary

>requirement of being non-confrontational!

>

>Sorry for duplication; I realised I sent this before checking the sense of what

I had written at proposed question 4.

>

>

>

>

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