asked the Minister for Health if he is aware that the qualifications of nurses trained in Ireland will not be accepted in England if these qualifications are acquired in hospitals with less than 300 beds; and if he will take steps to inform his counterpart in England that these nurses are fully qualified.
Ceisteanna—Questious. Oral Answers. - Nurses' Qualifications.
4.
The registration of nurses in England and Wales is a matter for the General Nursing Council of England and Wales. This council may require those who apply for registration in England or Wales to undertake further training before qualifying for registration. A critical factor in their consideration is the size of the hospital in which the nurse is trained. The standard required in this respect is a total bed capacity of not less than 300 and a daily bed occupancy of not less than 240. The requirements are general and do not refer specifically to Irish trained nurses.
In 1968, the General Nursing Council informed An Bord Altranais of the changes in the registration requirements which they intended to impose and An Bord, in consultation with the council, have evolved a scheme of amalgamation and integration of training schools as a result of which nurses in this country in hospitals so amalgamated or integrated as to provide the requisite facilities are accepted for registration in England and Wales. No problem has arisen in the case of nurses trained in Irish training hospitals meeting the requirement of not less than 300 beds and an average daily bed occupancy of 240.