§ 2.38 p.m.
§ LORD AUCKLANDMy 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 what proposals they have in mind for improving accommodation for nursing staffs in general and mental hospitals.]
680§ THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE FOR COMMONWEALTH RELATIONS and for the COLONIES (Lord Taylor)My Lords, in November, 1964, the Minister of Health published a building note on residential accommodation, giving comprehensive guidance on both the scale and the design of staff accommodation. It is for Regional Boards and hospital management committees to decide how much of the resources available to them should be devoted to this purpose. This is one of the matters Hospital Boards will be considering in the review of the hospital building programme which my right honourable friend will shortly be asking the Boards to undertake. As a general guide to the provision of accommodation, the Ministry of Health expect that up to one-third of the qualified whole-time staff may need to live at or very near the hospital; a higher proportion of students will normally be resident. Precise requirements will vary from place to place.
§ LORD AUCKLANDMy Lords, I thank the noble Lord for that reply. May I ask whether he is aware that in at least one mental hospital, in Epsom, there is no hostel of any kind for single male nurses and this is accentuating the nursing shortage very seriously? Will he consider extra financial help to Regional Boards to alleviate this very difficult problem?
§ LORD TAYLORMy Lords, the noble Lord is quite right in saying this is a very difficult problem, particularly because most mental hospitals are located in the country and there is, therefore, no local residential accommodation available. I am quite willing to ask my right honourable friend the Minister of Health to consider the position at Epsom, in consultation with the South-West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board.