HC Deb 10 December 1953 vol 521 cc2173-4
48. Mr. Mellish

asked the Minister of Labour what proposals he has for initiating a special campaign to attract recruits to mental hospital staffs.

Sir W. Monckton

My Department, with the advice of the National Advisory Committee on recruitment of Nurses and Midwives, is constantly endeavouring to recruit nursing staff for these and other hospitals. We are now concentrating on the recruitment problems of mental and mental deficiency hospitals and are giving all possible assistance to the promotion of local recruiting campaigns for meeting their needs.

As the hon. Member will know, memoranda on the subject have been sent to hospital authorities by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health. Programmes are being arranged in consultation with regional hospital boards.

Mr. Mellish

The position is really desperate, as the Minister knows, and desperate measures must be taken to solve it, because there are thousands of empty beds in mental hospitals and colonies throughout the country through lack of staff. Will he arrange to spend some money in the national Press to let it be known how serious the position is?

Sir W. Monckton

From his own activities, the hon. Gentleman is well aware of this deficiency of mental nurses, and I hope that this Question and answer will draw attention to the position. In addition to local campaigns undertaken up to now, up to March next 15 other local campaigns have been planned to take place, some in the area which is the particular centre of interest of the hon. Member.

Mr. Alport

Is my right hon. and learned Friend aware that one of the great difficulties is the rapid wastage particularly in the category of nursing assistants, and would he look particularly to the importance of improving the status and raising the position of that category?

Sir W. Monckton

That is a matter which is certainly under my constant attention.