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Student nurses offered practice placements in bid to tackle shortages

A CCG is offering placements in GP practices to student nurses in an attempt to stem practice nurse recruitment problems by generating interest in the career.

NHS Solihull CCG took on a batch of six student nurses in their second year of training at Birmingham City University at six local practices where they will receive mentoring and training.

It said it was running the scheme to tackle the shortage of practice-based nurses and ‘woo’ more nurses into the profession.

The nurses will be ‘under the supervision of their mentors at all times’, the CCG said.

Organiser Kirsty Millard, the CCG’s practice nurse development lead and practice nurse at Hampton Surgery, said: ‘The placement helps the students get wider experience of different types of nursing. We are hoping to generate interest in practice nursing as a career.’

The CCG’s chief nurse Sue Nicholls said: ‘Recruiting nurses is now a challenge for both GP practices and hospitals. We need to inspire student nurses to pursue primary care as a career.’

Health secretary Jeremy Hunt recently used his ‘new deal’ speech to outline plans to recruit 5,000 more non-GP staff for practices, including nurses, physician associates and pharmacists, alongside 5,000 more GPs in a bid to tackle GP workloads.