§ 11. Mr. Molloyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will make a statement about recruitment of nurses and ancillary staff in the National Health Service.
§ Dr. OwenThe total number, in whole-time equivalent terms, of nursing and midwifery staff in the National Health Service in England rose from 286,000 to 291,000 in the year ended 30th September 1973, the latest date for which figures are available. In the same period there was a small reduction in the numbers of ancillary staff from 164,000 to 163,000.
§ Mr. MolloyNotwithstanding the existing low state of morale, especially in this vital element of the health service, and notwithstanding the inquiries which Lord Halsbury is conducting, it is vital that nurses and ancillary staff should be given fresh hope after the damage caused to their aspirations by the previous administration. Will my hon. Friend consider in consultation with the Secretary of State, meeting representatives of all the staff associations to see whether the general form of negotiation can be considerably streamlined to avoid the cumbersome methods which already exist?
§ Dr. OwenWe have already expressed our readiness to look at the whole Whitley negotiating machinery, but the approach here must essentially be one of agreement between staff and management sides. I share my hon. Friend's concern that there is room for improvement. On the question of the morale of staff, particularly in the case of the nurses, the Government on taking office talked to staff representatives and it was in response to their request that we established an independent inquiry. I hope that the result of that inquiry will be not only improved recruiting but improved morale.
§ Mrs. KnightDoes the Minister take as lightly as it would seem the reduction in ancillary staff numbers in some hospitals? In the Birmingham area in particular, radiographers are in such short supply that three are having to do the work of eight or nine. This is not a matter which can be regarded lightly.
§ Dr. OwenRadiographers are a profession supplementary to medicine. One of the reasons for the fall in the numbers of ancillary workers in recent years has been the installation of incentive bonus schemes which involve to some extent the reduction of staff numbers.
§ Mr. Raphael TuckIs my hon. Friend aware that unless something is done about phasing local weighting allowances for nurses, we shall be losing nurses and not recruiting them? In the Peace Memorial Hospital at Watford nurses do not get a local weighting allowance whereas staff in the town hall 50 yards away get an allowance. Will my hon. Friend do his best to redress these anomalies?
§ Dr. OwenI regret that my hon. Friend's constituency does not seem to derive any benefit, but this is a difficult subject and is a matter of close relationship between the negotiations on London weighting for local government and the National Health Service.