§ Mr. Lomasasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many audiologists, cardiologists and electroencephalography technicians, respectively, are employed by each regional hospital board and how many of these are obtained through employment agencies;
(2) what is the annual cost of employing agency audiologists, cardiologists, and electro-encephalography technicians, respectively, to the National Health Service.
§ Mr. CrossmanThe numbers employed in England and Wales by hospital management committees in regional hospital areas at 30th September, 1968, the latest date for which figures are available, were as follows:
Hospital Area Audiology Technicians Cardiological Technicians EEG Technicians Newcastle 9 20 12 Leeds 19 38 9 Sheffield 9 40 5 East Anglian 5 11 2 North West Metropolitan 8 28 8 North East Metropolitan 11 38 7 South East Metropolitan 10 30 5 South West Metropolitan 11 21 8 Oxford 9 11 3 South Western 15 18 12 Birmingham 18 32 14 Manchester 26 42 15 Liverpool 6 35 11 Wessex 10 14 5 Wales 13 30 5 Totals: Hospital Management Committee employees 179 408 121 Technicians in these classes are also employed by boards of governors of teaching hospitals. I am not aware that any technicians are obtained through agencies.
§ Mr. Lomasasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how far short of establishment in each regional hospital board are audiologists, cardiologists and electroencephalography technicians, respectively.
§ Mr. CrossmanStaffing establishments for these specialised services are a matter for the hospital authorities concerned and information is not available centrally.