The Government is claiming that its recent campaign to bring trained nurses back to the NHS has been met with an excellent response.
The initiative was started after research from the Department of Health showed there were 19,000 qualified nurses who were no longer working within the healthcare system, but who could potentially be tempted back into the NHS.
A special helpline – Nurses Make a Difference – was set up to sell nursing as a career as a result. And since inception the DoH says this has attracted 2,920 calls from qualified nurses who were looking to return.
Health secretary Frank Dobson said: “In less than a month, one in six qualified nurses said they were interested in coming back.
“It shows that our package of measures – better pay, improved conditions and more flexible working – is proving attractive.”
The Department of Health has announced it is planning to create a single UK-wide body to regulate nurses, midwives and health visitors. This will replace the five existing statutory bodies.