Learning Disabilities Nursing

Lord Patel Excerpts

Tuesday 17th June 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

This is indeed a vulnerable group, as the noble Lord says, and it is probably best that I refer to the upcoming 10-year plan, which will deal with inequalities throughout a number of sectors, including the most vulnerable and including this group.

[Lord Patel (CB)]

My Lords, coming back to original Question, in which the noble Baroness, Lady Monckton, alluded to a drop in recruitment of 42% and only one place where such learning disability nurses are trained, is there not a need to expand ways of getting more people to train for learning disabilities without the penalty of fees for three years and for them instead to train as apprentices, where they do not have to incur such fees? Is that not an impediment to the recruitment of more nurses?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

Certainly, apprenticeships are important, and that is one of the ways we have expanded the routes into the nursing profession, including learning disability nursing. That means that the apprenticeships we are applying allow opportunities for people from all backgrounds and in underserved areas, which is another important area of ensuring that we remove the barriers to training in clinical roles.