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Childcare provision keeps NHS healthy

More than half of NHS organisations provide nursery places for their staff and 97 per cent of all NHS staff are given access to childcare co-ordinators, says a survey of the provision of childcare support in the health service. The NHS Childcare Survey 2004, carried out on behalf of the Department of Health, says the NHS 'makes a real commitment to looking after its staff'

The NHS Childcare Survey 2004, carried out on behalf of the Department of Health, says the NHS 'makes a real commitment to looking after its staff'

and further enhances its image as a family-friendly employer.

Information was gathered from 512 NHS organisations in England, including primary care trusts, acute trusts, mental health trusts and ambulance trusts.

The survey found that NHS organisations provide 11,700 nursery and creche places for children under five, three-quarters of which are subsidised.

In addition, two-thirds of NHS organisations offer childcare vouchers, which allow staff to save on tax and national insurance contributions. Of those not providing vouchers, 61 per cent intend to make them available to staff by the end of this year.

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