§ 12. Dr. Boysonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what reduction there has been over the last six months in the number of agency nurses employed at National Health Service hospitals.
§ Mr. MeacherOn 31st March 1975 there were, in whole-time equivalent terms, 6,183 agency nurses and midwives working in the National Health Service; on 30th September there were 4,544.
§ Dr. BoysonIs the Minister aware that, as in commercial services, there are certain individuals who prefer the freedom, flexibility and independence of agency services to full-time employment? Will his present policy not mean that the services of those people will be lost to National Health Service hospitals?
§ Mr. MeacherThe Government are only pursuing a policy that was pursued by the previous Conservative Administration. In 1971 the previous Conservative Government advised health boards to review the use of agency nurses and to plan both short-term and long-term reductions. The only difference in policy is that where the previous Conservative Government failed, we are succeeding.
§ Mrs. ChalkerWill the Minister give the House and those trained nurses who previously worked for agencies an assurance that those nurses will be employed by the National Health Service, because 224 at present, although they are fully trained, they are being refused employ-ment when they apply to the National Health Service?
§ Mr. MeacherIf agency nurses remain agency nurses we cannot give them that assurance. Before 1st October, when the new rates were introduced, the number of agency nurses had been reduced by 1,600. Therefore, any reductions since then are only a continuance of the policy which previously existed. I appreciate the problem to which the hon. Lady referred. Nurse banks, which we have set up to try to incorporate agency nurses, have taken on 500 extra nurses for the Health Service since 1st October in whole-time equivalent terms.