Talks have taken place between Irish and Spanish officials on a programme to recruit Spanish nurses to work in the Irish health services. They follow an approach by the Spanish ambassador to the Minister for Health and Children last year, according to the report of the Steering Group on the Nursing and Midwifery Resource, published yesterday.
It says the proposal was to establish a government-to-government initiative on recruiting Spanish nurses to work here. Subsequent to this contact, two representatives of the Nursing Policy Division of the Department, along with representatives of FÁS, met the chief nursing officer of Spain and officials of the Ministry for Employment in Madrid in February.
Spain has a higher ratio of nurses and doctors to the general population than most other European countries. A highly developed primary care system delivered from local health centres means some people stay at home who would be hospitalised here.
Britain already has an agreement with Spain to recruit thousands of Spanish nurses for the National Health Service.