WEDNESDAY, JULY 10, 1974
GENERAL NURSING COUNCIL ALTERS REGISTRATION PROCEDURE
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HONG KONG-TRAINED NURSES WHO WISH TO APPLY FOR REGISTRATION WITH THE GENERAL NURSING COUNCIL FOR ENGLAND AND WALES MUST NOW HAVE THEIR APPLICATIONS EVALUATED INDIVIDUALLY BY THAT COUNCIL.
THIS EVALUATION IS ON THE BASIS OF THE APPLICANT'S TRANSCRIPT OF STUDY, AND OTHER ASSOCIATED DETAILS.
THE NURSING BOARD OF HONG KONG WAS ADVISED LATE IN MARCH THAT THIS WAS TO BE THE POSITION WITH EFFECT FROM APRIL 1, 1974. BUT THE COUNCIL STATED THAT IT WAS PREPARED TO RECONSIDER THE POSITION OF HONG KONG REGISTERED NURSES PROVIDED VERY STRONG EVIDENCE COULD BE GIVEN FOR TREATING HONG KONG DIFFERENTLY FROM OTHER COUNTRIES.
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THIS WAS THE FIRST INDICATION THAT ONLY HONG KONG, OF ALL THE COUNTRIES TRAINING NURSES OUTSIDE ENGLAND AND WALES, HAD BEEN GIVEN SPECIAL TREATMENT IN RECENT YEARS.
THE CHAIRMAN OF THE NURSING BOARD SENT A VERY STRONG PLEA TO THE COUNCIL FOR THE CONTINUANCE OF THE OLD SYSTEM.
WHILE THERE WAS NO SPECIFIC REPLY TO THIS PLEA, A FURTHER CIRCULAR LETTER WAS RECEIVED WHICH SAID THAT THE PLEA WAS UNLIKELY TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
+ALL APPROVED STUDENT NURSES TEACHING HOSPITALS ARE BEING INFORMED ACCORDINGLY,+ A SPOKESMAN FOR THE NURSING BOARD SAID TODAY.
HE EXPLAINED THAT THE CHANGE IN REGISTRATION PROCEDURE DID NOT MEAN THAT HONG KONG-TRAINED NURSES GENERALLY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO REGISTER WITH THE COUNCIL.
BUT IT WAS NOW NECESSARY FOR THEM TO BE ASSESSED INDIVIDUALLY, RATHER THAN TO BE REGISTERED SIMPLY ON THE STRENGTH OF THE FACT THAT THEY WERE REGISTERED IN HONG KONG.
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