§ 2. Dr. Vaughanasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether she will make a statement on the short-term risk to the health service to which she referred in her circular requesting regional and area health authorities to take steps as a matter of urgency to reduce and, where practicable, eliminate the use of nurses' agencies by the National Health Service.
§ The Minister of State, Department of Health and Social Security (Dr. David Owen)There may be places where it does not prove possible immediately to replace agency nurses by a similar number of directly employed staff—many of whom, I hope, will be recruited from the agencies. We shall be better able to assess the risk when we have received the detailed plans of the health authorities.
§ Dr. VaughanAs the Secretary of State on her own admission is deliberately creating a new risk for the care of patients, is it reasonable to close nursing agencies at a time when nursing standards are falling and when more than 11,000 beds are empty because of a shortage of nurses? Is she aware that most people will regard this action as unfeeling and medically irresponsible?
§ Dr. OwenIt has been the policy of successive Governments to try to remove our dependence on agency nurses and it is a question of balance. The situation in the Thames area, where more than 20 per cent. of the nursing staff comes from agencies, is not one which guarantees a good standard of care for patients in the National Health Service.
§ Mrs. ChalkerIs the Minister aware that we are likely to lose many women from nursing? Has he any proposals to stop nurses in agencies leaving the profession altogether as they have done on occasions in the past?
§ Dr. OwenOne way to meet this difficulty is to introduce flexibility of hours as far as possible within the NHS. We envisage the creation of nurse banks on a much wider scale and are trying to provide these flexible hours, but we must strike a balance with those who have to provide the service 24 hours a day, seven days a week.