The motion was narrowly carried, after 55 per cent of delegates voted in favour. Some delegates objected to the fact the proposal only referred to 'advanced' HCAs.

Voting member Paul Philips said that the motion was not 'wide enough' and added that all support staff should be regulated.

Earlier in the week RCN general secretary and chief executive Dr Peter Carter backed calls for the regulation of HCAs.

'When you've got a workforce in the public and private sector of 600,000, there's something quite wrong if that workforce is unregulated and untrained,' he said.