Nurses

There was no central registration of nurses until 1919, when the General Nursing Council (GNC) was set up. This was responsible for creating a register of nurses and for approving training schools. No provision was made for the entry of nurses with a lower standard of training. In 1943, the Nurses Act established the Roll of Assistant Nurses, with a requirement of two years training. The General Nursing Council was given responsibility for this roll. The 1949 Nurses Act amended the constitution of the GNC. The list of nurses created under the 1943 Act was reopened to admit those who had been prevented by the war from applying at the time.

The Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors Act 1979 dissolved all statutory and non-statutory training bodies, including the General Nursing Council and Central Midwives Board. They were replaced by the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting, with National Boards for England and Wales, who hold more recent information.

Register and Roll of Nurses

DT 10 contains the bound volumes of the Register of Nurses (State Registered Nurses) from 1921 to 1973. It includes details of nurses who had qualified before 1921. DT 10 also contains the list of nurses created under the 1943 Act. The Roll of Nurses (State Enrolled Nurses) created in 1944 is in DT 11, covering 1944 to 1973.

Both the Register and Roll given full name, qualifications, where the individual trained, and home address. Alterations may also be recorded, such as change of name upon marriage, change of address, date of death and any removals on disciplinary or other grounds. After 1973 the Register and Roll were held on computer. A print of the names of all the nurses still on the Register and Roll as at 30 June 1983 is held in DT 12. It does not include those on the list of nurses.