Number of nurses and midwives employed by the Department, types of employment contracts and number on the local register who could assist emergency situations

1240/5(4712)

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES BY DEPUTY A.E. JEUNE OF ST. BRELADE

ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 8th SEPTEMBER 2009

Question

"Would the Minister –

• advise the Assembly of the total number of nurses on the "Jersey register", and of these

• the number who are  employed by the Health and Social Services Department (HSS);

• of  the  number  employed  by  HSS,  identify  the  proportion  that  have   full  time contracts,  part-time contracts, or are employed as bank' nurses, breaking down each category into those who are locally

resident (5 years' residency), those who are essentially employed (J category) and those with less than 5 years residency?

Is the Minister aware of the number of Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) registered nurses in the Island who are not on the local register of nurses and who might be available to assist in the event of any chronic shortage due to the anticipated flu pandemic or other emergency situation? And if not, does the Minister have any plans to collate this information in the event of a chronic staff shortage, for example the anticipated flu pandemic or emergency situation?"

Answer

The total number of nurses on the "Jersey register" as of the end of August 2009 is

• 1071 nurses

• 62 midwives

• 26 specialist community public health nurses

1. The numberof registered nurses currently in post /employedbyHealthandSocialServicesDepartment is 569 .( Thisexcludes vacancies, orposts recruited towhere staff havenotyetarrived) The budgeted establishment is 660 full time equivalent,whichincludes 38 midwives.
2. All J' category registered nurses and midwives are working full time contracts. There are approximately 220 nurses in this categoryand these nurses have 5 yearsandunder residency. They comprise 37.4% of the nursingandmidwifery workforce.

2 (i ) 369 registered nurses have lived and worked in Jersey for 5 years and more and this comprises 62.6%

of the workforce.

2 (i i) The department employs 30 registered nurses on zero hours contracts and together they provide the

core of the nursing bank'. Of these 6 are available to work fulltime hours the other 24 are only available to work part time.

In addition to the above, 164 registered nurses who already have substantive contracts with HSSD, undertake bank shifts in addition to their normal working hours. The Minister is unable to say how many registered nurses are living in Jersey, but not on the local register.

The Minister thanks Deputy Jeune for her suggestion regarding an Island wide, nursing, response to an emergency situation. In that event islanders may be called upon to provide assistance, following appropriate media requests, and this could include nurses on the NMC register. Any assistance subsequently provided, however, will need to

be undertaken within appropriate legal frameworks.

It is a legal requirement, in seeking to maintain national NMC registration, for nurses and midwives to complete 150 hours of clinical practice per year or 350 hours over a 3 year period. There is also a requirement to produce evidence of annual continuing professional development which may preclude many individuals from maintaining professional registration.

Retired nurses without current NMC and local registration would only be legally entitled to work in a non registered nurse or midwifery capacity.