Plans to require those in nurse manager jobs to obtain a degree by 2020 could be dropped, reports Nursing Times.

The proposal was part of the Prime Minister's Commission on the Future of Nursing and Midwifery in England report which was published in March.

However, it could soon be dropped over fears that senior staff who have experience but no degree would be penalised.

"Some commissioners were very concerned about making it an absolute requirement because there are people in these jobs who can't be required to have degrees," said Sue Bernhaused, Council of Deans of Health Chair.

Currently 60% of nurses don't have degrees, but this number is expected to drop after 2013, when all newly qualified nurses will be required to have degrees.

New changes to Nursing and Midwifery Council rules mean that learning acquired while practising can count for up to half of a nursing degree programme. Previously, it could only count for a third.

NHS Employers deputy head of employment services Caroline Waterfield said that trusts weren't being told to implement the recommendation. "Individual organisations will need to make their minds up as to which qualification their nurses should have," she said.

However the Department of Health would not confirm whether a decision had been taken, and said they would instead be responding to the commission's recommendations in due course.