Rampton Hospital (Industrial Dispute) (Hansard, 14 November 1972)

§ Sir K. Joseph

As the hon. Member knows, the discussions on the working party set up three weeks ago did not result in an agreement. I issued the following statement yesterday about these discussions and the offers made to the staff on my behalf, and my decisions following the breakdown of the working party:—A working party consisting of representatives of the nursing staff of Rampton Hospital, Retford, Notts., the local management and officers of my Department was set up three weeks ago, under the chairmanship of the Chief Nursing Officer of my Department, to discuss problems which had arisen over the shift system introduced at the hospital on 1st October. Under the old system, nurses worked from 7.30 am to 9.30 pm, with breaks for meals, and had every alternate day off—a total of 42 hours a week. Under the new system, the nurses worked shorter hours each day and had fewer days off, but worked a total of 40 hours a week. After working this new system for about two weeks the nurses declared their intention of reverting to the old long-day system on 19th November unless a settlement were reached before then. The working party has met three times and has discussed both the shift system and other staff grievances. Despite proposals made by my officials which went a long way to meet the demands of the staff, I regret to say that the talks have broken down. My proposals included a revised shift system which would have given the nurses one whole day off every third day; reasonable working hours on their duty days—approximately 9 hours with breaks for meals; more continuity of ward teams than under the system 59W introduced on 1st October; a substantial increase in the number of posts at Charge Nurse and Ward Sister level, thus improving promotion prospects for junior staff; some assistance towards additional travelling expenses; and a survey of other problems and management staff relationships by an independent person of wide experience, working in close touch with the staff and their representatives as well as with local management. These were generous proposals by any standards, and would have brought great benefits both to staff and patients. I regret that the majority of the nurses have rejected them and apparently prefer a system under which they work for 14 hours or more each working day with alternate days off and have reiterated their intention to refuse to work on any other system from 19th November. As a final gesture of good will I added at the last meeting of the working party today an offer of a temporary return to the old shift system for a limited period on condition that the staff accepted that at the end of that period a shift system on the lines we had proposed would be introduced. This offer was not acceptable to the staff representatives. In the interests of the patients in Rampton and of the public my overriding duty is to ensure that the work of the hospital continues with as little disruption as possible. I have therefore with great reluctance instructed the management of the hospital to arrange for a slightly modified long-day system to be rein-

APPOINTMENTS (INCLUDING RE-APPOINTMENTS) TO REGIONAL HOSPITAL BOARDS (ENGLAND) SINCE JUNE 1970—ANALYSED BY OCCUPATION, AGE AND SEX
	Under 51	51–55	56–60	61–65	Over 65	Total
Occupation	M	F	M	F	M	F	M	F	M	F	M	F
Doctors	15	3	20	2	13	2	7	—	2	—	57	7
Dentists
Nurses
Academic (other than medical)	2	—	1	—	3	—	4	—	2	—	12	—
Company directors and managers	11	—	8	—	11	—	9	—	5	—	44	—
Trade Union Officials	5	—	3	—	3	—	3	—	1	—	15	—
Miscellaneous	11	3	8	1	9	—	13	1	6	—	47	5
Retired people, housewives or occupation not known	—	6	—	7	4	7	12	7	15	9	31	36
Total	44	12	40	10	43	9	48	8	31	9	206	48

Note: Of the 254 appointed, 167 had appointments before June, 1970, and were re-appointed by the present Government.