OH staff face massive training fees

OCCUPATIONAL health nurses must enrol on courses costing £800 to say on the NMC register.

OCCUPATIONAL health nurses must enrol on courses costing £800 to say on the NMC register.

Many lack qualifications recognised by the NMC.

It migrated them onto the third part of the register – for specialist community public health nurses – in 2004 but is now calling for these qualifications by December. 'They have been invited to submit a portfolio that maps their education and practice against the current standards for specialist community public health nursing practice,' the NMC said.

Michael Walker, Unison's London regional officer, said: 'This was not communicated properly. The OH nurses are telling us they paid money and are shocked to find that they are not on that part of the register.'