HC Deb 17 July 1974 vol 877 cc186-8W
Mr. John Evans

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many agency nurses and agency midwives are employed by the North-West Regional Hospital Board at the latest available date;

(2) how many vacancies exist for (a) nurses and (b) midwives within the North-West Regional Hospital Board at the latest available date.

Dr. Owen

Twenty-one agency nurses and one agency midwife were employed and vacancies existed for 567 nurses and 221 midwives in hospitals in the North-Western Region in June 1974. The numbers of vacancies are based on standards laid down by the former Manchester Regional Hospital Board on the recommendation of its nursing committee

Mr. John Evans

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the salaries paid to (a) agency nurses and (b) midwives employed by the North-West Regional Hospital Board.

Dr. Owen

(a) £29.28 weekly; (b) £34.00 weekly.

Mr. John Evans

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the current salary scales for (a) nurses and (b) midwives employed in direct service by the North-West Regional Hospital Board.

Dr. Owen

The current national salary scales for the basic grades of qualified nurse and midwife are set out below. Threshold allowances of £2 per week or £8.70 per month are payable in addition.

£
Staff nurse (General hospital) 1,338–1,725
Staff nurse (Psychiatric hospital) 1,437–1,824
Enrolled nurse (General hospital) 1,203–1,455
Enrolled nurse (Psychiatric hospital) 1,302–1,554
Staff midwife 1,368–1,755

Mr. John Evans

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many agency staff, other than nurses and midwives, are employed by the North-West Regional Hospital Board.

Dr. Owen

Forty-seven.

Mr. John Evans

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many agency staff are employed within each of the area health boards coming under the North-West Regional Hospital Boards;

(2) how many agency staff, under all headings, were employed by the North-West Regional Hospital Board in June 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1974.

Dr. Owen

Number of agency staff employed within each area health authority in the North-West Regional Hospital Board:

Bolton
Salford 3
Manchester 47½
Trafford 6
Tameside 6

Number of agency staff employed by North-West Regional Hospital Board:

June 1970 33
June 1971 36
June 1972 44
June 1973 36
June 1974 73

Mr. John Evans

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what staff vacancies existed, under all headings, within the North-West Regional Hospital Board in June 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1974.

Dr. Owen

Specific records of staff vacancies are not kept, but from the available information the following figures have been calculated. Those for the years to 1973 relate to the former Manchester Regional Hospital Board.

June 1970 3,293
June 1971 2,125
June 1972 1,645
June 1973 1,771
June 1974 1,841

Mr. John Evans

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what is (a) the total number of consultants employed by the North-West Regional Hospital Board and (b) how many consultants are employed in a full-time capacity by the North-West Regional Hospital Board;

(2) what vacancies exist for consultants, full- and part-time, in each of the area health boards in the North-West Regional Hospital Board's area.

Dr. Owen

The North-Western Regional Health Authority employs 515 consultants of whom 207 are full-time.

Vacancies for consultants in the area health authorities are as follows:

Wigan 4
Bolton 5
Bury 2
Rochdale 4
Oldham 5
Trafford 4
Stockport 4
Tameside 6
Lancashire 29
Manchester 22
Salford 11