PEOPLE interested in a career in nursing could soon be able to study for a relevant degree in Somerset.

Health and care services in the county are working towards making it easier for people to train as nurses by working with education providers who could offer a locally available nursing degree programme to Somerset residents in the near future.

They are trying to gauge how many people in Somerset could be interested in working in nursing and what issues need to be thought about to make the training accessible to all.

A survey has been developed to gather views on the initiative - to take part go to smartsurvey.co.uk/s/Somerset_nursing_survey/

Helen Stapleton, Somerset Sustainability and Transformation Plan workforce programme lead, said: "We know that it can be difficult for some people in more rural areas of the county to travel to areas where nursing degrees are offered, so we hope that we will soon be able to offer nursing training to those who would otherwise not be able to study nursing and get qualified.

"To help us get our plans right and make sure our training courses are accessible to everyone, we want to hear from anyone who has ever thought about a career in nursing.

"This is a great opportunity for you to help develop nursing education in the county, and will be a fantastic way for you to take the first step onto a very rewarding career path."

Jo Howarth, deputy chief nurse at Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We are really excited about this work and delighted to be a part of it.

"Studying a nursing degree can help you to grow your career in healthcare and open new opportunities for personal growth and development.

"A local programme may be particularly useful to existing health care assistants and carers who have thought about taking the leap into nursing, as well as school leavers who want to stay and train in Somerset.

"Having the course available locally could potentially boost the numbers of qualified nurses in the county – so this could be a true win-win situation."

Please click here to take the survey and get involved - don’t delay, the survey closes on 16 September 2019!