§ 34. Mr. Wallaceasked the Minister of Health to what extent the increased use of forms E.C. 10 H.P. has added to the 1037 cost of drugs within National Health Service hospitals.
§ The Minister of Health (Mr. Kenneth Robinson)I regret that this information is not available.
§ Mr. WallaceIs my right hon. Friend aware that this situation is placing an increasingly heavy burden on hospital finances and is very closely related to the shortage of pharmacists? I know of one hospital facing increased costs of more than £2,000.
§ Mr. RobinsonThere was a sharp increase in the use of this form in the last financial year, following a fall in one year of about 4 per cent. in the number of hospital pharmacists. In the first six months of this financial year there continued to be a comparatively small increase in the use of form E.C.10 H.P., but the number of hospital pharmacists increased by nearly 3 per cent. in the year to September last.
§ Sir J. Vaughan-MorganWill the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that this falling off in the number of pharmacists was very largely due to the fact that the Whitley machinery took so long to adjust itself to salaries outside? What steps is he taking to see that this does not occur again, not only among pharmacists but among other grades in the hospital service?
§ Mr. RobinsonAs I said, the situation has been rectified to some extent in the year up to last September. I am aware that in some circumstances the Whitley machinery moves rather more slowly than I would wish, and we constantly have in mind ways and means of speeding it up.