46. Mr. Slaterasked the Minister of Health what is the present total number of mental nurses in the North-Eastern Regional Board area and the number for each mental hospital within the area; and how these compare with 12 months ago.
§ Mr. Walker-SmithAs the Answer contains a number of figures, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
Mr. SlaterWill the Minister tell the House what he is doing about seeking to bring young people into this profession?
§ Mr. Walker-SmithThere is another Question on the Paper relating to this point. So far as recruitment is concerned
§ in the area to which the hon. Member's Question refers, he will see from the figures that there has been an increase over the last twelve months both in the whole-time and the part-time mental nurses.
§ Dr. SummerskillIn view of the well-known shortage of mental nurses, would the right hon. and learned Gentleman not say that the time has now arrived when the wages of those nurses should be related to the wages received by other bright, intelligent young men and women in other professions? That is the fundamental problem.
§ Mr. Walker-SmithAs the right hon. Lady will know, there has been an increase in these pay scales and there is an increase in the number of recruits coming into this calling.
§ The figures are as follows:
| Hospital | Total Nursing Staff | Increase or decrease between 30th September, 1956 and 30th September, 1957 | |
| At 30th September, 1956 | At 30th September, 1957 | ||
| Mental Hospitals: | |||
| Cherry Knowle Hospital— | |||
| Whole-time | 161 | 167 | + 6 |
| Part-time | 44 | 40 | - 4 |
| Garlands Hospital— | |||
| Whole-time | 89 | 96 | + 7 |
| Part-time | 71 | 74 | + 3 |
| Winterton Mental Hospital— | |||
| Whole-time | 342 | 344 | + 2 |
| Part-time | 97 | 94 | - 3 |
| St. Mary's Hospital— | |||
| Whole-time | 120 | 107 | -13 |
| Part-time | 37 | 37 | — |
| St. Nicholas Hospital— | |||
| Whole-time | 191 | 192 | + 1 |
| Part-time | 92 | 91 | - 1 |
| St. George's Hospital— | |||
| Whole-time | 138 | 145 | + 7 |
| Part-time | 64 | 80 | +16 |
| St. Luke's Hospital— | |||
| Whole-time | 127 | 132 | + 5 |
| Part-time | 21 | 39 | +18 |
| Total— | |||
| Whole-time | 1,168 | 1,183 | +15 |
| Part-time | 426 | 455 | +29 |
| Mental Deficiency Hospitals: | |||
| Dovenby Hall Hospital— | |||
| Whole-time | 52 | 54 | + 2 |
| Part-time | 35 | 29 | - 6 |
| Northgate District Hospital— | |||
| Whole-time | 100 | 107 | + 7 |
| Part-time | 23 | 26 | + 3 |
| Prudhoe and Monkton Hospital— | |||
| Whole-time | 211 | 237 | +26 |
| Part-time | 33 | 29 | - 4 |
| Aycliffe Hospital— | |||
| Whole-time | 111 | 121 | +10 |
| Part-time | 9 | 7 | - 2 |
| Total— | |||
| Whole-time | 474 | 519 | +45 |
| Part-time | 100 | 91 | - 9 |
| Mental Hospitals and Mental Deficiency Hospitals: | |||
| Total— | |||
| Whole-time | 1,642 | 1,702 | +60 |
| Part-time | 526 | 546 | +20 |