A scheme to increase practice nurse numbers.

A shortage of practice nurses is adding to the workforce crisis in general practice. This crisis has been caused by there being problems recruiting and retaining enough GPs to cope with rising demand for health services. Health Education Yorkshire and the Humber set up the Advanced Training Practice Scheme to ease workforce pressure. The scheme focuses on creating high-quality, undergraduate nurse placements in GP practices to promote the recruitment of practice nurses. In just over six years, it has created capacity for 350 student placements in more than 130 practices in the region. From November 2012 until March 2014 the number of student nurses considering general practice as a first career rose from 31% to 73%.