HC Deb 20 May 1954 vol 527 cc2271-2
16. Mr. Palmer

asked the Minister of Health if he will state his reasons for enforcing the block advertising procedure for vacancies for nursing staff in the National Health Service.

Miss Hornsby-Smith

The main object of the procedure is to avoid the waste of advertising space and of money entailed by the insertion of separate advertisements by hospital management committees.

Mr. Palmer

Is the hon. Lady satisfied that this rather mechanical system is, in practice, producing results?

Miss Hornsby-Smith

I should have thought that the concentration of all the advertisements relating to any hospital management committee would be far more easily spotted by potential applicants than if they were dotted about in any part of the newspapers. The new scheme was recommended by the Ministry in 1952, and was enforced in 1954 at the request of the regional hospital boards.