Health screening for newly qualified nurses

Guidance on occupational health is to be issued shortly which will cover all these recommendations. Together with the English National Board's new guidelines, this guidance will establish better procedures for selection of student nurses for training, the selection of staff to work on children's wards and the follow up of staff who have a history of excessive absence through sickness.

As set out in Recommendation 1, all staff joining the NHS are additionally subject to standard employment checks. Guidance is provided by NHS Employers.

Furthermore, the NMC professional standards as referenced in Recommendation 1 require that nurses, midwives and nursing associates wishing to join the register must disclose any relevant health conditions and character issues. Guidance is provided for those wishing to join the register, and for approved education institutions.

In November 1994, the Secretary of State for Health said that guidance on occupational health was to be issued shortly to cover this recommendation. The Secretary of State said that, together with the English National Board’s new guidelines, this guidance would establish better procedures for selection of student nurses for training, the selection of staff to work on children’s wards and the follow up of staff with a history of excessive absence through sickness.

The Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001 (as enacted) provided for the Nursing and Midwifery Council to prescribe the requirements to be met as to the evidence of good health and good character in order satisfy the Registrar that an applicant was capable of safe and effective practice as a nurse.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (Education, Registration ad Registration Appeals) Rules Order of Council 2004 (as enacted) required applicants to make declarations as to their good health and character accompanied (for applicants applying for admission to the register on or within 6 months of completion of a pre-registration programme) by a supporting declaration from their education institution.

Current Nursing and Midwifery Council Guidance requires student nurses and midwifes to tell their education institution about any health conditions when applying to study to be a nurse, midwife or nursing associate, and which affect their ability to practise safely and effectively.