§ 4. Mr. Woodnuttasked the Minister of Health what is the number of consultancy posts in psychiatric hospitals occupied by senior hospital medical officers with allowances, lacking a consultancy grading, in Scotland, and in England and Wales, respectively.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonThere are 25 in this specialty in England and Wales, and none, I understand, in Scotland.
§ Mr. WoodnuttWould the right hon. Gentleman tell me why this odd anomaly should exist between Scotland and England and Wales? Why are they not all paid the rate for the job?
§ Mr. RobinsonI cannot say why it happens that there is none in Scotland. But these allowances were introduced in 1959 as an interim measure while the hospital medical staff structure was under review. The closing date for applications was 1965.
§ 5. Mr. Woodnuttasked the Minister of Health what is the length of time a senior hospital medical officer has to spend in consultancy posts in a mental hospital before obtaining the grading of 1129 a consultant; and how many senior hospital medical officers with allowances are in consultancy posts without the grading of a consultant who obtained their appointments prior to 1947 by open competition.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonThere is no qualifying period: doctors achieve consultant grading by obtaining a consultant post in open competition after appropriate training and experience. The information requested in the second part of the Question is not centrally available.
§ Mr. WoodnuttDoes not the Minister realise that there are only 25 senior medical officers in the country who are in consultancy posts without consultancy grading? I know of one who has been in the post for over 20 years and is still not getting the rate for the job.
§ Mr. RobinsonAs part of the review of the medical staffing structure, senior hospital medical officers with allowances were eligible for a special review conducted by professional committees. Full weight was given to experience as distinct from formal qualifications in this review.