An agreement which will give nurses and midwives the opportunity to retain their clinical duties even when they are promoted was signed this afternoon between the government and the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses.

To date, whenever a nurse was promoted, that nurse’s duties became administrate.

Health Minister Joe Cassar said that though this ‘historic’ agreement, this will no longer be the case.

The agreement also covers for the possibility of promotion through experience with a competency programme and evaluate framework.

Dr Cassar said the agreement, which also covered for better wages and conditions of work, encouraged nurses to continue training so that they would keep progressing as their efforts would be recognised. The agreement would also ensure that patients received the best quality care possible.

MUMN president Paul Pace said discussions which led the agreement had not been easy. He recalled that an agreement on the recruitment of nurses was reached five years ago and said that because of this agreement there was no nurse who did not have the opportunity to work.

He stressed the importance that nurses kept up with specialisation, which he said was imperative and noted that the agreement would allow specialised nurses to remain with their patients.