§ Mrs. Lena Jegerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received about the difficulties of hospital recruitment of permanent medical secretaries in view of the competition from more highly paid temporary agency staff; how much he estimates to be the expense to the National Health Service of the employment of temporary secretarial staff; and what action he proposes to take.
§ Sir K. JosephI have had representations from London teaching hospitals about their difficulties in recruiting secretarial staff, particularly medical secretaries. Information about numbers of temporary secretaries is not available centrally, but the total 1972–73 salary bill for hospital secretarial and typing staff in England was about £20 million, of which something over £1 million was paid in respect of agency staff. Recruitment of secretaries is particularly difficult in London and I am considering the position further with the hospital authorities concerned.