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Following is a question by the Hon Joseph Lee and a written reply by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (October 31):
Question:
Regarding the motion on "Policy on nursing manpower" passed by this Council on 20 June this year, the Government indicates in its progress report on the motion that it will upgrade local nursing education to degree level. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the estimated number of nursing degree graduates from each institution in each of the next three academic years;
(b) how the proposed upgrading of nursing education to degree level will be implemented, and whether it will provide additional funding so that the University Grants Committee can increase the number of government-funded first-year places for degree programmes on nursing; if it will, of the number of the places concerned in the next three academic years, broken down by institution; if not, the reasons for that; and
(c) in relation to the long-term planning for nursing manpower, whether it will amend the Nurses Registration Ordinance (Cap. 164) to prescribe that any person shall meet the qualification requirement for registering as a registered nurse or enrolling as an enrolled nurse only if he or she is a holder of a degree in nursing; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that, and whether it has assessed if the Government has, in not amending the Ordinance, breached its commitment to upgrade local nursing education to degree level; if an assessment has been made, of the results?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) According to the information provided by various institutions, the numbers of graduates from local nursing degree programmes (including publicly funded and self-financed ones) in the coming three academic years are projected in Annex I.
Besides, publicly funded higher diploma nursing programmes are organised by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the Hospital Authority (HA), the graduates of which are also eligible for registration as registered nurses. In the coming three academic years, the numbers of graduates of these two programmes are projected in Annex II.
(b) To implement our policy of upgrading nursing education to degree level, the number of first-year-first-degree places for nursing undergraduate programmes offered by University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded institutions has already been raised from 450 in the 2004/05 academic year to 518 in the 2007/08 academic year. In addition, the UGC has started to provide 30 Year 2 senior year places for nursing undergraduate programmes since the 2005/06 academic year, in order to provide more articulation opportunities for graduates of sub-degree nursing programmes. We will continue to monitor closely the nursing manpower requirements. We will give advice to the UGC in relation to the publicly funded places of nursing programmes, which will serve as reference for institutions in formulating their academic plans.
(c) Upgrading local nursing education to degree level is still the long-term target of the Government. In the light of the current and short-term shortage of nurses, and in order to create opportunities for young people with Form 5 education level and who want to join the health care profession to serve the community, we have put in place other measures to ensure an adequate supply of nurses in Hong Kong to meet the needs of medical and social welfare organisations. For example, we have allocated funds to the HA to continue organising enrolled nurse training programmes for the social welfare sector.
The Nursing Council of Hong Kong is the statutory body responsible for the registration of nurses. It will, within the purview of its professional autonomy, formulate the most appropriate arrangements regarding the enrolment and registration of nurses, having regard to the community needs and the actual demand for and supply of nurses.
Ends/Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Issued at HKT 12:42
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