Medical Physics Technicians (Hansard, 1 November 1988)

§ 4. Mr. Skinner
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received about the pay of medical physics technicians employed in the National Health Service.

§ 11. Mr. Boateng
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received about the pay of medical physics technicians employed in the National Health Service.

§ Mr. Mellor
A settlement was reached in the appropriate Whitley council on 19 October. Before that, we had received numerous letters from right hon. and hon. Members and individual technicians.

§ Mr. Skinner
Is not the truth of the matter that, over the past nine years, the people who work in those backroom capacities, in laboratories, have lost ground in relation to other people? Will the Minister confirm that there are currently recruitment difficulties as a result of that? Is it not a scandal that, when the Government are prattling on about a booming Britain, 46.3 per cent. was handed over in wage increases to business executives last year, while these people are having to potter about on single figure pay increases?

§ Mr. Mellor
I hope very much that business executives will feel further incentives to generate the wealth which we can tax and from which we can pay the wages of medical physics technicians. There are now 30 per cent. more medical physics technicians than there were in 1979 and, although there may be recruitment difficulties in some areas, our innovative ideas on regional pay will help adjust those. I look forward to the hon. Gentleman's enthusiastic support.

§ Mr. Boateng
Does the Minister recognise that, while business executives are busy generating wealth, the Parkside health authority has problems, not only with recruitment, but with the retention of suitably qualified staff? What special assistance can be given to such health authorities on that difficult problem, which is beginning to affect patient care?

§ Mr. Mellor
It is a serious problem. I, too, represent an inner London constituency, and I am aware of recruitment difficulties. I am aware also of the problems that are faced by staff who are not beneficiaries of the review body system. We want to try to address these matters. In the 808 nurses' pay award there was a 9 per cent. additional supplement for inner London, which is the beginning of a move towards regional pay. I believe that that will be the only way in which we can recognise the difficulties that people have in working in the hon. Gentleman's constituency and in mine, as against many areas in the rest of the country where living costs are much lower. I assure the hon. Gentleman that we recognise that there is a problem and that we want to try to do something constructive to resolve it. Any constructive suggestions that he has will be seriously considered.

§ Mr. Ian Bruce
Does my hon. and learned Friend agree that regional pay is important and that those who do not have the emotional pull of nurses—for example, technicians and others who work in extremely important areas within the Health Service—should not think that the Government ask themselves, "How little can we pay them and get away with it?" We must ensure that market forces are in full play so that we can recruit those who are necessary in technical and other areas. May I have the assurance of my hon. and learned Friend that the Government will work vigorously to introduce reasonable pay differentials so that health authorities in areas such as my constituency in Dorset will be able to recruit staff who are essential for technical departments?

§ Mr. Mellor
I think that both my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State and I were nodding in assent during my hon. Friend's supplementary question, which made the central point that all those who work within the service are valuable to it. We must ensure that every group is properly considered, and that is more easily said than done. It is plain that there is room in which to examine the issue, and we shall do so.

§ Rev. Martin Smyth
I welcome the Minister's response to the hon. Member for Brent, South (Mr. Boateng), but I ask him to reconsider his use of percentages to show a decided increase in staffing levels. Does he recognise that over the years there has been. a tremendous advance in the use of science and technology in the service of medicine? That being so, there will be an increase in numbers. Will he recognise also that sometimes some of those who are included in the numbers that are returned are not in post for various reasons? Will he accept that perhaps we are overstraining the commitment of medical staff and technicians to the Health Service and their care of patients?

§ Mr. Mellor
I am not quite sure what point the hon. Gentleman was making in the first part of his supplementary question. Self-evidently, unless there were a good reason for appointing 30 per cent. more staff in any given grade, the Government would stand condemned for wasteful employment of unnecessary people. It is clear that there has been an increase in high technology medicine. That has required more staff in certain grades and a mass of others in the service with greater qualifications. Our job is to try to ensure that our increased resources touch on the conditions of these people and allow us to recruit the numbers that we need to keep the service going. We must ensure that we look to some of the lesser groups and not only the large groups. We must bear in mind those who do not necessarily have the public emotional clout of some others in the service.