That’s useful to know. That’s taking some evidence, but we haven’t gone quite the full way to an assessment of the likely impact on district nurses, which I think is perhaps something you may want to consider. But you did allude then to the staffing needs of any given nursing home, and the make-up of any team in a nursing home is critical to the success of the care it offers. The removal of a nurse on site is one pressure on that team, but another is the replacement of skills, which may be lost as people leave.

Developing the skills of existing staff, whether they are nursing assistants or healthcare support workers, is good for retention levels and personal development, but there are practical difficulties in finding time to train staff, both in nursing homes and for at-home care. This applies particularly when an individual needs to apply judgment and understand the implications of an intervention rather than being able to mechanically perform a task, if you like. How can you assure us that quality and standards are not compromised when continuing professional development is patchy due to these pressures? And how will this inconsistency in the acquisition of skills create inconsistency in individuals concluding exactly when they are now qualified enough to register?