NHS reforms: Jeremy Hunt defiant over nursing plans

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has defended government proposals to reform nursing, after nurses' leaders branded the plans as "stupid".

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said ministers had missed an opportunity to improve patient care after the Stafford Hospital scandal public inquiry. A plan to get trainee nurses to work for a year as healthcare assistants received particular criticism.

Mr Hunt said the RCN had failed to respond to criticisms of its actions in the Francis report into Mid Staffs and that many nurses had welcomed the idea of more frontline experience.