'A school nurse in every school'

School nurses are ‘crucial to child health and wellbeing, and ensuring young people reach
adulthood ready and resilient both physically and psychologically’. ¹

Despite their value, the number of school nurses has been falling steadily. NHS England workforce figures show a 33% fall in the number of school nurses between 2009 and 2022.

Of the 1,945 staff in the latest count, only 852 were described as ‘qualified school nurses’, many of whom will no longer be practising as such.

The School and Public Health Nurses Association (SAPHNA), the Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI), and the College of Medicine and Integrated Health have joined forces to draw attention to the issues and to push for urgent change. This includes a campaign to ensure there is a school nurse for every school.