§ 9. Mr. Boydenasked the Minister of Health how many full-time and student 919 occupational therapists, respectively, are now employed in the hospital service.
§ Mr. Braine1,714 whole-time equivalents last September. The number of students attached to hospitals is not known.
§ Mr. BoydenAccording to the Ministry's last annual report, the number of students was only 2 per cent. of the total number of full-time therapists. Is this adequate even to make up the wastages? What is the Ministry of Health doing about this form of recruitment?
§ Mr. BraineThe figures which the hon. Gentleman has given are no indication of the numbers. The numbers in post have doubled since the appointed day. The hon. Member asked me what is being done, and I am glad to be able to tell him that a new school in the National Health Service is to be opened at York this autumn.
§ Dr. KingIs not the real trouble that there is dissatisfaction among all the auxiliary services in the hospitals about their salaries? Will the hon. Gentleman ask his right hon. Friend whether the time has not come to set up a committee to examine the scales of salaries paid to the various medical auxiliaries in hospitals?
§ Mr. BraineThat goes a bit wide of the Question. There was dissatisfaction, but the hon. Member will recall that increases of 7½ per cent. or more were agreed in January 1963, the highest increases going to some staffs with long service.