33. Mrs. Slaterasked the Minister of Health if he will state the weekly salary of a radiographer employed by the National Health Service.
Mrs. SlaterDoes the hon. Lady think that a salary of under £11 a week for the average radiographer is anything like enough? Does she not think that 935 the shortage of people of this kind, from which our hospitals are suffering, could be much better remedied by increasing their salary than by the Ministry paying private contractors nearly £14 a week for doing jobs like this?
§ Miss PittA claim for increased salaries for radiographers is before the Whitley Council at the moment. On the question of shortage, no doubt the hon. Lady will be glad to know that on 30th September last 1,311 students were in training, a figure which represents an increase of 54 per cent. since 1957. I would therefore hope that these figures show that students are being recruited and when they are fully trained they will add to the number engaged in radiography.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonIs the hon. Lady satisfied that they will stay in the service? Does she not appreciate that if this wide disparity between National Health Service salaries and pay outside continues, the hospital authorities will be forced from time to time to rely on contractual arrangements to get the radiography done, which will not be in the best interests of the service?
§ Miss PittThe figures show that previous students are certainly staying in the service because the number in the service at 30th September, 1961, was higher than in the previous year.
§ Lord BalnielWhile there is concern about the staffing of radiography departments, will my hon. Friend not agree that not only is the number of students increasing but the number of radiographers qualifying each year is steadily rising?