HC Deb 08 May 1967 vol 746 cc1053-4
45 and 49. Mr. William Hamilton

asked the Minister of Health (1) what is the total annual sum collected from student nurses in fees charged for sitting their final examinations and for getting on to the State Register; and what proportion this total figure represented of the total net salary cost of these nurses in the last financial year;

(2) what proportion of a nurse's weekly net salary, assuming she is living in the hospital, is represented by the six guineas she must pay to become State Registered; and if he will list comparable details of professions within the Health Service employing ladies like these in which registration fees are payable.

Mr. Snow

Information is not available in the form requested, but the final examination fee and the life registration fee together represent 4.S6 per cent. of the net annual training allowance paid to a third-year general student nurse. The life registration fee represents approximately 118 per cent. of a third year general student nurse's net weekly training allowance. Comparison with the other professions cited by my hon. Friend is a complex matter since in most of these there is an initial registration fee and subsequent annual retention fees and I am writing to my hon. Friend about this.

Mr. Hamilton

Will my hon. Friend appreciate that the combined registration fee and examination fee is much greater than the net weekly salary of one of these nurses? Is there any other profession in the entire country which has to pay this kind of fee? Will my hon. Friend do something to reduce it?

Mr. Snow

When one takes into account the fact that the training period is three years and that on registration a nurse is eligible for a net salary increase of £183 a year, the picture does not seem to be as awkward as all that. As for other persons within the health services, my hon. Friend may be interested to know the sort of fees which are comparable in this matter. Although they are calculated on different formulae, they include chiropodists, dietitians, medical laboratory technicians, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, radiographers and remedial gymnasts.