Question NW4022 to the Minister of Health
25 November 2022 - NW4022
Clarke, Ms M to ask the Minister of Health
(1)Whether, following reports that the current nursing shortage in public health care stands at 1 nurse per 218 patients, his department will form a partnership with Temporary Employment Services (TES) in terms of (a) training nurses and (b) induction courses; if not, why not; if so, by what date will this commence; (2) (a) what medical training will TES offer and (b) has the training been accredited; (3) (a) how is TES funded and (b)(i) what percentage of nurses are they able to train and (ii) at what total cost; (4) what training will be prioritised in terms of the agreements?
Reply:
1. (a) The National Department does not have any agreement with Temporary Employment Services (TES) in terms of the training of nurses. The Department does not form partnerships with labour brokers or agencies for the training of nurses.
Prospective providers for Nursing Education programmes have to register with Department of Higher Education and need to apply for accreditation from the South African Nursing Council (SANC) and the Council on Higher Education (CHE). Applications are done per programme leading to registration in any of the prescribed categories of nursing according to the Nursing Act, 2005 (Act No 33 of 2005). The SANC accredits nursing education institutions and programmes in terms of professional integrity, standards of education, clinical training and placement in appropriate health facilities. SANC also consider whether programmes demonstrate relevance, responding to a specific population’s health service needs. The CHE accredit programmes based on the academic standards of Higher Education.
(b) Induction is done by the health establishment for every cohort of new recruits, focussing on, amongst other subjects, national-, provincial-, and the health establishment’s policies. Health professionals are additionally inducted on the health establishment’s standard operating procedures for the professional group. This function cannot be outsourced, as it forms an integral part of orientation of new employees to a workplace and is seen as letting new employees feel welcome and appreciated by their employers.
2. (a) The National Department of Health has no plans to utilize TES for medical training. Medical training is the exclusive domain of medical schools.
(b) The Department has not established the accreditation status of the TES training programmes
(3)(a), (b) (i), (ii) See reply to (1) (a) here above.
END.