Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the minimum number of hours training is that healthcare visitors must receive on providing specific care to the elderly.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) sets standards for the education of health visitors. Health visitor training is undertaken by already registered nurses or midwives who will have had to meet the relevant NMC standards which require a minimum of 4,600 hours of theory and practice learning. To qualify as a health visitor requires an additional 45 weeks of programmed learning, split equally between theory and practice.

The NMC document, Standards of proficiency for specialist community public health nurses, sets out the requirements that health visitors need to meet to be registered. Although there are no specific requirements regarding the care of the elderly, the NMC has a role to ensure health visitors have the right skills and qualities when they start work.