§ 2.45 p.m.
§ LORD STONHAM: My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are aware of the concern expressed by the Association of Hospital Management Committees at the difficulties arising from the acute shortage of midwives in peripheral hospitals; and if the steps they are taking to deal with this problem include (1) consideration of the grant of higher pay to nurses who take the additional qualification in midwifery; (2) greater encouragement for enrolled assistant nurses to qualify as midwives; (3) ensuring that State Registered Nurses do not enrol for midwifery courses unless they express an intention of putting to practical use the knowledge of midwifery thus gained.]
72LORD ST. OSWALDMy Lords, I regret that mine is a rather long Answer to a long Question. Her Majesty's Government are aware that while the total number of midwives employed in hospitals has recently been increasing, difficulties are being experienced in some hospitals because they are short of midwives. The problem has been studied by the National Consultative Council on the Recruitment of Nurses and Midwives, and a number of special local surveys have been made. As a result it has been possible to make suggestions to hospital authorities about ways in which the shortage may be alleviated.
Practising midwives in the hospital service already receive higher pay than nurses. It is hoped that the substantially increased salaries agreed last year for all midwifery and nursing staff will lead more midwives to practise their profession. The length of training for enrolled assistant nurses who wish to qualify as midwives was reduced in 1959 from two years to eighteen months, and any other ways of encouraging more assistant nurses to take up midwifery which seem promising will continue to have the support of Her Majesty's Government. It would not, however, appear desirable to seek to restrict entry to midwifery training to registered nurses who express an intention of practising as midwives after qualification, as this might well have a very adverse effect on recruitment.
§ LORD STONHAMMy Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for that most helpful reply, may I ask whether he does not agree that the crux of this difficulty is that out of some 3,000 nurses who qualify as midwives every year only about 800 are still practising midwifery three years later; and since it costs £600 to train each one of them that means an annual loss of about £1½ million. They qualify as midwives only in order, later on, to take senior nursing appointments. That is the crux of the difficulty, and if the noble Lord could look into that, it might be possible to get over it.
LORD ST. OSWALDMy Lords, certainly and naturally it will be looked into. At the moment, although I see the force and the pith of the noble Lord's argument, it is thought that many entrants to midwifery training may not wish to make up their minds about practising until later: they would be unwilling to commit themselves in advance, 73 and potential recruits may in this way be lost.
§ LORD STONHAMMy Lords, will the noble Lord have regard to the fact that the reason why enrolled assistant nurses are most welcome as trainees for midwifery is because it is almost certain they will remain in that occupation? That is why it is necessary to encourage them, rather than State Registered Nurses who will perhaps not continue in midwifery at all.
LORD ST. OSWALDMy Lords, I will certainly bring to the attention of my right honourable friend the point of view expressed by the noble Lord.