XN000022-1993-10-07 — Page 15

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1993

MR MICHAEL HO (THROUGH INTERPRETER): MR PRESIDENT, I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT MEDICAL AND HEALTH CARE POLICIES. YESTERDAY, IN THE POLICY ADDRESS, THE GOVERNOR DID NOT REALLY TALK ABOUT A REVIEW OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH POLICIES. ABOUT THE POLICY ADDRESS: YES, IT TALKS ABOUT FUNDING FOR THE CHRONICALLY-ILL, SO THAT WE CAN INCREASE RENAL- DIALYSIS AND IMPROVE HOSPICE CARE AND I AM GLAD TO SEE THAT NURSING IS MENTIONED. NEVERTHELESS, THERE IS NO POLICY DIRECTIVES HERE. OKAY, WE MAY HAVE FUNDING TO IMPROVE RENAL-DIALYSIS OR HOSPICE CARE. AFTER THAT, OBVIOUSLY, WE WON'T GET ANY POLICY INSTRUCTION TO GUIDE THE FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS OF THESE SERVICES SO THAT WE FURTHER PERFECT THESE SERVICES, MR GOVERNOR, WILL YOU INSTRUCT YOUR ADMINISTRATION TO CARRY OUT A COMPREHENSIVE POLICY REVIEW SO THAT FOR THESE SERVICES, IN FUTURE, THEY WILL NOT BE DELIVERED IN A PIECEMEAL FASHION? IN THIS WAY WE CAN HAVE A SUSTAINED POLICY DIRECTIVE.

YESTERDAY, YOU TALKED ABOUT NURSES AND YOU WHEN I DRAW COMPARISONS, I

TALKED ABOUT PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS. DISCOVER THAT YOU TALK ABOUT UPGRADING PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS INTO GRADUATE TEACHERS. IT IS CLEARER THAN WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT NURSES. FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS, SPECIFIC FUNDING WAS MENTIONED, BUT NOT FOR NURSES. WHY IS THERE SUCH A VAST DIFFERENCE?

THE GOVERNOR:

CAN I DEAL WITH THE SECOND POINT FIRST, BECAUSE I RECOGNISE THE HONOURABLE MEMBER'S CONCERN FOR THE NURSING PROFESSION AND HIS KNOWLEDGE ON THE SUBJECT AND THE WORK HE HAS DONE FOR THE NURSING PROFESSION, AND I SHARE HIS BELIEF THAT THE NURSING PROFESSION AND THIS HAS BEEN THE CASE EVEN BEFORE FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE IS AT THE HEART OF GOOD HEALTH CARE IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE ARE KEEN TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN MORE NURSES. I THINK I AM RIGHT IN SAYING THERE HAS BEEN A SEVEN PER CENT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF NURSES ON OUR HOSPITAL WARDS OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, AN INCREASE OF ABOUT 1,100, AND NURSE RECRUITMENT HAS INCREASED FROM 1,845 TO 2,020. BUT IT IS NOT JUST, AS THE HONOURABLE MEMBER WOULD DOUBTLESS ARGUE, A QUESTION OF MORE NURSES, BUT OF ENSURING, FIRST OF ALL, THAT THROUGH THE MANAGEMENT OF WORK IN HOSPITALS, NURSES HAVE SOME OF THE JOBS TAKEN FROM THEM WHICH DO NOT REQUIRE THEIR PARTICULAR PROFESSIONAL SKILLS, AND THAT MEANS THAT THEY NEED MORE SUPPORT WITH SOME OF THE MORE BURDENSOME AND NON-SPECIALISED DUTIES.

SECONDLY, THE HONOURABLE MEMBER IS ENTIRELY RIGHT TO SAY THAT WE ALSO NEED TO DEVELOP NURSES' QUALIFICATIONS, TO GIVE THEM MORE AND BETTER TRAINING, AND TO RAISE THEIR STANDARDS IN THAT WAY AND IN ORDER TO TRY TO MEET THOSE OBJECTIVES, WE HAVE GIVEN AN EXTRA 10 MILLION FOR NURSE TRAINING. THAT SHOULD PROVIDE ABOUT 160 EXTRA FIRST-YEAR FIRST-DEGREE PLACES FOR NURSES IN THE 1995-98 TRIENNIUM. WE WILL ALSO BE SPONSORING SELECTED NURSES ON DEGREE CONVERSION COURSES AND I HOPE THAT THOSE INITIATIVES WILL MEAN ENHANCED PROFESSIONAL STATUS AND JOB SATISFACTION FOR NURSES. THE HONOURABLE MEMBER IS RIGHT TO SAY THAT THAT MATTERS AS MUCH FOR NURSES AS IT DOES FOR TEACHERS.

/GOING THEN