Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps are being taken to provide nursing placements in community nursing homes as a means of expanding training placement availability.

We anticipate that community nurse placements will be a part of the increase in the number of available clinical placements for undergraduate nurse degrees announced by my Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 3 October 2017.

Health Education England’s (HEE) Community Education Providers Networks bring together all involved with education and training in primary care within a specified geography to work across health and social care, delivering and coordinating educational training and so helping to attract, recruit and retain staff in the region and develop a sustainable workforce.

HEE has also developed Advanced Training Practice hubs which are accredited to provide undergraduate and post-graduate multi-professional training placements that offer opportunities for learners to develop the competencies needed to work effectively in primary and community care settings.

Education and training provision for healthcare systems in the National Health Service in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales is a matter for each of the devolved administrations.