§ 10.4 pm
§ Mr. Keith Vaz (Leicester, East)I wish to present a petition on behalf of sister Millington and staff nurse Baird of 14C, Hospital close, Leicester, staff midwife Katrina Barnett of 7B Hospital close, Leicester and 23 other midwives at Leicester general hospital in Evington who were outraged last week when Leicestershire health authority announced that midwives at the Leicester royal infirmary were to get incentive payments of £1,000 each.
The midwives at the general hospital were prepared to resign en masse. They believe that all midwives in Leicestershire should be treated equally and I understand 827 that since the petition was raised the health authority has now agreed to extend the payments to the Leicester general hospital.
The midwives consider that the crisis of staff shortages, which at the general hospital means overtime payments for 480 hours a month, can be solved only by a proper salary regrading and not by the application of auction-like tactics to our Health Service.
Wherefore your Petitioners pray that your Honourable House encourage the Secretary of State for Health to instruct the Leicestershire health authority to review the salary structure of midwives in the district.
§ To lie upon the Table.