Nurses and Health Visitors: Recruitment (Hansard, 10 May 1989)

§ Lord Henley
My Lords, a number of steps have already been taken which are designed to improve the recruitment of nurses and health visitors. These include improvements in pay scales which on average have risen by more than 25 per cent. since April last year, and the introduction of the new clinical grading structure. Important changes are being made in nurse training, and we are taking steps to improve career development for nurses. The national nurse recruitment publicity campaign is being further developed. So far it has resulted in over 30,000 requests for information about nursing as a career.

§ Lord Molloy
My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that the possibility of increasing nurses' pay will be very much welcomed? Is he also aware that by the mid-1990s we shall have the lowest number of school leavers in this country? On the other hand, is the Minister aware that the ageing population will have increased between 40 per cent. and 50 per cent.? I believe that it is called a demographic time bomb. Is this matter being taken into consideration by the department?

§ Lord Henley
My Lords, I did not speak about the possibility of improving nurses' pay, but about the fact that it has been increased by on average 25 per cent. since last year. As regards what the noble Lord terms the demographic time bomb, we accept the decline in the number of suitably qualified school leavers will lead to problems if the situation remains unaltered. We have asked health authorities to improve recruitment and retention by increasing male recruitment, making greater efforts to recruit mature entrants, organising back-to-nursing campaigns, which includes refresher training, establishing nurse banks and providing more opportunities for flexible working and job sharing.

§ Baroness Platt of Writtle
My Lords, as regards recruitment it is equally important to retain the staff who put so much effort into acquiring qualifications and experience, representing considerable public and private experience. Perhaps I may congratulate my noble friend on the new report—

Noble Lords
Question!

§ Baroness Platt of Writtle
My Lords, I am coming to a question. Perhaps I may congratulate my noble friend on the new report that has just been published 656 on equal opportunities for women in the National Health Service. Can the Minister say what the Government intend to do to see that the report is put into effect?

§ Lord Henley
My Lords, I welcome the remarks of my noble friend. My honourable friend the Minister for Health about a month ago welcomed the two new reports on health service managers which call for further action to be taken by health authorities to ensure equal opportunities for women. He is commending those reports to health authorities.

Lord Winstanley
My Lords, does the noble Lord recollect that his predecessors at the Dispatch Box agreed that the provision of affordable living accommodation is crucial to the recruitment and retention of nurses in London? Does he also recollect that Ministers have told us of interesting and encouraging developments whereby some of the nurses' homes that have been closed, sold off or put to other uses, are being reopened? Is he further aware that some building societies are arranging to make accommodation available for nurses on advantageous terms? Can he say what further progress has been made as regards those two matters?

§ Lord Henley
My Lords, a mortgage package has been introduced involving the Nationwide Anglia Building Society in the London area. I gather that other health authorities have made similar agreements with other building societies.

§ Lord Ennals
My Lords, despite what the noble Lord says, with the fall of 13 per cent. in the numbers joining the professional register last year and the fall of 4 per cent. in those entering nursing training besides the fall in the total number of nurses employed in the National Health Service—the first time for many years that the figure has actually decreased—does he not agree that we are facing a real crisis in nursing manpower at the present time? Is the noble Lord aware that the nursing organisations, including the Royal College of Nursing, are very dissatisfied with the Government's response despite what the Minister has said? What is the use of appointing an extra 100 consultants if there are not the nurses to serve them? How is the waiting list problem to be dealt with if the nurses are not available?

§ Lord Henley
My Lords, I am not sure how many questions the noble Lord asked. As regards numbers, I do not believe that they have fallen since last year. The noble Lord was probably thinking of a report in the Guardian last week. In the department we are not aware of where the newspaper got those figures; certainly they are not the figures relating to the National Health Service workforce in England that were issued recently. Those figures indicate that the situation has remained static since last year.

§ Baroness Seear
My Lords, does the noble Lord not agree that in the attempt to get experienced women nurses back into the service the provision of child care is of the very greatest importance? Is the noble Lord further aware that it can cost as much as 657 £100 per week for a woman to arrange for child care which is quite an impossible sum unless some assistance is given? It will be a great economy to give that assistance if it results in getting women back into nursing.

§ Lord Henley
My Lords, the noble Baroness knows perfectly well that I cannot give her the assurance that that will happen. I shall certainly draw her remarks to the attention of my right honourable friend.

§ Lord Denham
My Lords, I should—

§ Lord Taylor of Gryfe
My Lords, can the Minister comment on the impact of the poll tax; for example, on nurses who live in nursing hostels and who, although generally exempt from rating impositions at the moment, will pay the poll tax? Does the Minister not agree that this will make the profession less attractive?

§ Lord Henley
My Lords, that is entirely another question. Nurses will be receiving a salary and therefore they will be in a position to pay the poll tax or the community charge.

§ Lord Molloy
My Lords, the noble Lord has acknowledged that the department is aware of the problem. I am very pleased to hear that. Is he prepared to consider the views of the leaders of the great professions such as Mr. Hector McKenzie of CoHSE, the secretary general of the Royal College of Nursing—

Noble Lords
Order, order!

§ Lord Molloy
—and Miss Shirley Goodwin of the Health Visitors' Association, who want to help the Government and indeed anyone who wishes to make certain that we have a secure NHS and a good supply of nurses? That provision is always demanded by doctors, surgeons and specialists who value immensely the help and aid of nurses.

§ Lord Henley
My Lords, I shall certainly draw the attention of my right honourable friend to the comments made by the noble Lord.