§ 2.48 p.m.
§ LORD STONHAMMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government why no specific provision has been made in the financial allocations to Regional Hospital Boards for the year 1960–61 for expenditure arising from the increased rate of recruitment of nursing staff, or from proposals for expenditure on cross-infection and sterilisation procedures.]
LORD ST. OSWALDMy Lords, specific provision has been made in the financial allocations to Regional Hospital Boards to enable them to recruit the additional staff needed to complete the introduction of the 88-hour fortnight for nurses. Provision has also been made to cover the cost of additional nurses (and other increased costs) arising from 90 the completion of new capital developments. As regards other nurse recruitment and measures to avoid cross-infection and to improve sterilisation procedures, these are items which are intended to be financed out of the sums included in the allocations for general developments and improvements and through savings, including those achieved as the result of improved efficiency.
§ LORD STONHAMMy Lords, is the noble Lord aware that after you have fed the people and paid wages and salaries, there is almost no room for manœuvring in a hospital budget? What I am asking is that we should be able to have the salaries to recruit nurses up to approved establishment. Can he say whether that money would be available?
LORD ST. OSWALDMy Lords, I am not quite sure that I have the point of the supplementary question. In fact, as regards recruitment, the allocations for 1960–61 included in total about £4 million for the purpose of completing implementation of the 88-hour fortnight for nurses. Provision was also made to meet the cost of additional nursing staff required for new hospital units. Recruitment for other purposes, for instance the improvement of services generally, is expected to be met out of the general funds provided.
§ LORD STONHAMMy Lords, that exactly confirms my point. Will the noble Lord now ask his right honourable friend whether additional money will be provided to hospitals in cases where they can recruit up to the approved establishment? On the point a cross-infection, is the noble Lord aware that his right honourable friend the Minister approached all hospitals to take steps with regard to this menace? A great deal has been done but much more cannot be done without the money to do it; therefore it is no use issuing these instructions unless the money is provided to deal with them.
LORD ST. OSWALDMy Lords, my right honourable friend is aware of the importance of the avoidance of cross-infection in hospitals, and when making allocations he asked Regional Hospital Boards to give special attention to measures to prevent and control cross-infection when deciding how to apply 91 the sums made available to them. The need to devote further sums to this purpose was taken into account by my right honourable friend when fixing the allocations.