Nursing course deferral likely

Press, 14 September 1988, Page 11

Nursing course deferral likely

The Canterbury Hospital Board appears likely to defer this year’s enrolled nurse programme in an attempt to cut costs. ■ ’ • Applicants who had already accepted positions on the year-long training course have received letters from the board’s chief nurse informing them that the November intake is likely to be postponed as a cost-cutting measure. Between 60 and 70 nurses are accepted for the programme each year, in two intakes. The future of the hos-pital-based programme will be decided at board meetings later this month. The organiser for the Nurses’ Association, Ms Carolyn Payne-Harker, said if had become apparent that a decision had been made and she could not believe it would not happen. Ms Payne-Harker said she was opposed to the way cost-cutting decisions were being made. There

had not been adequate consultation with a wide enough group. The acting general manager of the Canterbury Hospital Board, Mr Ron Parker, said no final decision on the programme had been made. It was considered wiser to give applicants fair warn- > ing of what could happen. No decisions on staff cuts had been made and any estimates by the Nurses’ Association were speculation.

If the programme did not go ahead this year, it might possibly be deferred until some time next year, Mr Parker said.

Ms Payne-Harker said hospital services hardest hit by the training cuts would include long-term care units such as geriatric wards. While the association did not support the training cuts, questions had to be asked about the sense of training more nurses at a time when the board was retrenching.