HC Deb 01 July 1968 vol 767 cc182-4W
Dr. David Owen

asked the Minister of Health what were the total numbers for 1967 in the following categories, namely, social workers in psychiatric departments of hospitals, psychiatric social workers in psychiatric departments of hospitals, social workers in mental health employed by local authorities, whole-time equivalent psychiatric social workers or equivalent in mental health employed by local authorities, health visitors, excluding tuberculosis visitors but including staff of voluntary organisations, and staff of training centres provided by local authorities, whole-time equivalent.

Mr. K. Robinson

I regret that not all the information is available in the form requested. Numbers employed (expressed as the equivalent numbers of whole-time staff) at 30th September, 1967 were:

Psychiatric Social Workers in hospitals, 243;

Social Workers in hospitals other than Psychiatric and Medical Social Workers, 644 of whom about half are estimated to work in psychiatric departments;

Social Workers in mental health employed by local authorities, 1,794, of whom 179 were qualified as Psychiatric Social Workers, Medical Social Workers or by other university Applied Social Studies Courses;

Health Visitors, excluding tuberculosis visitors but including a small number of staff of voluntary organisations, 5,447;

Staff of local authority training centres, 4,135.

Dr. David Owen

asked the Minister of Health what were the total numbers for 1967 in the following categories, namely, consultants in hospital in subnormality or severe subnormality, consultants in hospital in mental illness, consultants in hospital in mental illness in children, senior registrars in hospital in subnormality or severe subnormality, senior registrars in hospital in mental illness, and senior registrars in hospital in mental illness in children.

Mr. K. Robinson

At 30th September, 1967 the numbers in England and Wales were as follows:

Consultants Number Senior Registrars Number
Specialty
Subnormality and severe subnormality 98 5
Mental Illness 766 190
Mental Illness (children) 155 25
Locums are excluded.

Dr. David Owen

asked the Minister of Health what were the number of psychiatric social workers in the psychiatric departments of hospitals in 1966; and what is the latest figure now available.

Mr. K. Robinson

The equivalent of 231 whole-time psychiatric social workers were employed in hospitals at 30th September, 1966 and 243 at 30th September, 1967. Separate figures are not available for those employed exclusively in psychiatric departments.

Dr. David Owen

asked the Minister of Health what were the total numbers for 1967 in the following categories, namely, registered nurses whole-time psychiatric mental illness, registered nurses whole-time psychiatric mental subnormality, student nurses, enrolled nurses and pupil nurses whole-time psychiatric mental illness, and student nurses, enrolled nurses and pupil nurses whole-time psychiatric mental subnormality.

Mr. K. Robinson

The information is as follows:

NUMBERS OF WHOLE-TIME NURSES AT 30TH SEPTEMBER, 1967 IN NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE HOSPITALS IN ENGLAND AND WALES
Mental illness hospitals Mental sub-normality hospitals Psychiatric units or separate psychiatric wards in non-psychiatric hospitals
Registered nurses 12,094 4,152 1,141
Student nurses 6,553 1,689 202
Enrolled nurses 5,156 2,897 746
Pupil nurses 1,209 308 42

Notes:

1. The qualified nurses are nearly all qualified mental nurses.

2. "Registered nurses" means State Registered Nurses, nurses on the list of Foreign trained nurses or nurses holding the Royal Medico-Psychological Association or British Tuberculosis Association certificate and engaged on nursing duties for which they are registered, listed or certificated.