HC Deb 07 June 1962 vol 661 cc663-4
47. Mr. Frank Allaun

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware of the large number of old people who need hospital treatment who cannot secure beds in any hospital, mainly because of staff shortages; and what measures he proposes to improve staff recruitment.

Miss Pitt

No, Sir; my right hon. Friend will shortly be giving advice to hospital authorities on the maintenance of realistic waiting lists, particularly for geriatric and chronic sick beds. Numbers of staff generally are on the increase.

Mr. Allaun

May I ask the obvious question? Would not the best possible way to recruit more hospital staff be to give them an increase in pay?

Miss Pitt

The obvious answer is that the figures have been steadily rising and are now at the highest level ever.

Mr. Lipton

Will not the hon. Lady admit that the staffing situation in the geriatric hospitals is more difficult than it is in most other hospitals? However she may try to whittle down the waiting lists, does not she realise that there is a long waiting list in the London area and that sometimes people have to wait many months before they can secure admission?

Miss Pitt

I do not accept that. Not all hospitals have all the nurses they would like to have, but the number of chronic sick beds closed for lack of staff even on such figures as we have is less than the average.

Miss Herbison

Even though the number of nurses may have been increasing, the hon. Lady must know that there is a grave shortage in some areas and that it is because of this shortage that we have the type of case to which my hon. Friend the Member for Salford, East (Mr. Frank Allaun) referred. Does not she realise that it is no use saying that she will have the matter looked into, if an old lady was left lying a whole week-end without attention, since looking into the case afterwards will not help her?

Miss Pitt

I have no doubt that in the case to which the hon. Member for Salford, East referred the local doctors provided what services were available, and I hope that the local authority was called in, too. On the general question, I cannot speak for Scotland, but there are, in fact, more nurses practising now than ever before.

Mr. Allaun

In such a case, where an elderly lady has lain in bed all night without proper medical attention, the fact that a doctor has attended her temporarily during the day is not enough. Such a person needs the hospital service. Although recruitment may be improving, is not the situation still so bad that many wards are closed purely for lack of the necessary staff?

Miss Pitt

Nevertheless, as I said in answer to the hon. Gentleman's earlier Question, ten additional geriatric beds have been provided in Manchester, and the Hospital Plan provides for a considerable increase in all areas of the country.