§ 67. Mr. R. C. Morrisonasked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the large number of qualified and experienced hospital nurses at present disengaged, he will permit local air-raid precautions committees to engage an additional professional nurse for each first-aid centre?
§ Mr. ElliotThe establishment of a first-aid post includes one trained nurse. I do not feel in a position to recommend the enlargement of this establishment.
§ Mr. MorrisonDoes the right hon. Gentleman realise that one trained nurse at a first-aid post cannot be continuously on duty and that therefore there are bound to be long periods during which there is no trained nurse available, and does he appreciate that in certain circumstances it may be necessary to have at least one trained nurse?
§ Mr. ElliotThe general professional staff is not continuously on duty at first-aid 401 posts. These establishments have been very carefully worked out, and I should certainly be rather dubious at the present time about enlarging them.
§ Mr. MorrisonWill the right hon. Gentleman not look at this question also from this point of view, that there are hundreds, even thousands, of trained hospital nurses at present disengaged and not earning any money at all?
§ Mr. ElliotThere are many trained personnel of various kinds disengaged, and I do not think we can look at it entirely from that point of view. We must look at it from the point of view of the efficiency of the service.