HC Deb 22 June 1943 vol 390 cc1096-7

Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Clause stand part of the Bill."

Mr. Messer

It is with much diffidence that an Englishman says anything about a Scottish Bill. I do so only because my concern for the nursing profession is balanced by my love of Scotland. I had hoped that Scotland would not have parted from England but would have been a long way in front of England. I realised after the English Bill had passed that there would be very little hope of getting a great deal of alteration in this Bill, but I must draw attention to a continued act of injustice in this Clause. This Clause perpetuates a system which denies to nurses who have all the qualifications required for registration, the right to get on the State Register. The arguments for that system are lacking in reality. There is still a large number of nurses who have had full training, who have got their school certificate, who have certificates in addition to those held by nurses on the State Register, but who are denied the right to call themselves State registered nurses. This Clause proposes to put them on a list. They are nurses who, for reasons many of which are outside the power of the people concerned, were unable to get on the Register when the 1919 Act came into operation. Some of them got married. I had a letter recently from a nurse who said that her husband died two weeks after the last day upon which she could have claimed to go on the Register. From thence onward, she has been unable to go on the Register.

Some of these nurses have held very high positions; some have become departmental sisters, administrative sisters, deputy matrons, and matrons of hosptials. They will not be able to continue to call themselves "matron" in the sense defined by the Report of Lord Rushcliffe's Committee. In the Rushcliffe's report, they are all qualified by being State registered nurses. No harm would have been clone to anybody had these nurses been entitled to go on the Register. I feel that my appeal can hardly be met, because the Minister of Health has declined to accept the suggestion that the Register should be open, but it seems to be an act of grave injustice to retain the present position. I cannot expect the Secretary of State for Scotland to depart far from the decision of the Minister of Health, but I hope the time will arrive when we shall do this act of justice, and give these nurses what is their due.

Mr. Johnston

I can say that I have had no representations from anyone on the lines of my hon. Friend's statement and appeal. But I certainly do not want to see any injustice. I want to see the maximum number of nurses enrolled in Scotland. If I am satisfied, between now and the time when the Bill appears in another place, that any injustice has been done, I will see whether it can be altered.

Question, "That the Clause stand part of the Bill," put and agreed to.

Clauses 19, 20 and 21 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

First and Second Schedules agreed to.

Bill reported, with an Amendment; as amended, considered; read the Third time, and passed.