§ Mr. Fortasked the Minister of Health what steps he is taking to deal with the shortage of nursing staff in mental hospitals and mental deficiency institutions.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodI have issued a memorandum to the hospital authorities concerned recommending a number of measures, and, in particular, more careful selection of student nurses, more extensive employment of nursing assistants to meet immediate staffing needs, systematic instruction of nursing assistants, and measures to improve staff relations. I am placing a copy in the Library. Further memoranda dealing with training questions and the organisation of recruitment campaigns will be issued shortly. I am also appointing to the staff of my chief nursing officer two mental nursing officers, a man and a woman, to deal with mental nursing problems.