HC Deb 21 May 1974 vol 874 cc88-9W
Mrs. Jeger

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will make a statement on the pay and conditions of radiographers.

Dr. Owen

The Whitley Council has reached agreement, approved by the Pay Board, on increased pay to operate from 1st April 1974, and this has now been notified to employing authorities. The council has also agreed to discuss other improvements that might be permissible within the context of the Pay Code. My right hon. Friend has written to the Whitley Council about measures that would enable consideration of desirable developments to the role and structure of the professions supplementary to medicine, including radiographers, to be pursued.

Mr. O'Halloran

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will make a statement on the correspondence she has had with the Secretary of the Society of Radiographers regarding pay and conditions.

Dr. Owen

The secretary of the society wrote to inform my right hon. Friend that the society had asked the Staff Side of the Whitley Council to consider making a new claim. A pay increase in accordance with stage 3 has recently been agreed effectively from 1st April for radiographers and associated professions supplementary to medicine, and I have replied expressing the Government's concern about the staffing of the health services, observing that the details of the claim are proper to the council itself, and referring to the Government statement on future policy on incomes made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment on 18th March.— [Vol. 870, c. 688–703.]

Mr. Whitlock

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the recognised establishments of radiographers in each of the hospitals of the Nottingham Area Health Authority; what are the numbers at present on strength at each of the hospitals; and what steps are being taken to recruit more radiographers.

Dr. Owen

There are currently 98 radiographers employed in hospitals in the area of Nottinghamshire AHA(T). Recruitment to meet local need is a matter for the health authority which, 1 understand, would like to employ a further 14, including seven in the North and four in the South Nottingham Districts.

Mr. Carter-Jones

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will give the comparative cost per hour, per eight hours, per normal working week, per weekend, for employing National Health Service and agency radiographers, respectively; and if she will make a statement.

Dr. Owen

Comprehensive information is not available in the form requested. Comparison of the cost of employing agency radiographers and National Health Service radiographers is affected by such variable factors as the charge made by the particular agency, the point which the National Health Service radiographer has reached in the salary scale and the elements of cost other than salary for the National Health Service radiographer.

Mr. Carter-Jones

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will give the proportion of employment time of agency-employed radiographers, as distinct from National Health Service radiographers, for the following years: 1965, 1967, 1969, 1971 and 1973; if she intends taking any action to change this trend; and if she will make a statement.

Dr. Owen

Information in the form requested is not available centrally, but a special survey showed that a whole-time equivalent of 185 agency radiographers were employed at 30th April 1973 as against a total of 4,933 radiographers in post at 30th September 1973, representing 3.6 per cent of the total of these two figures.

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