§ Mr. Freudasked the Secretary of State for the Social Services (1) how many agency nurses were employed by the National Health Service in each of the last 18 months; and what was their overall monthly pay;
(2) what is the monthly payment to agency nurses; and what proportion this represents of the total expenditure on nursing.
§ Mr. DeakinsInformation is not available on a monthly basis. The number in whole-time equivalents of agency nurses and midwives employed in the NHS in the eighteen months to 30th September 1976, the latest available date, was as follows:
31st March 1975 … 5,704 30th September 1975 … 4,242 31st March 1976 … 2,676 30th September 1976 … 1,818 Expenditure on agency nursing staff amounted to £19,778,000 in 1975–6 and £10,715,000 in 1976–7, or 2.01 per cent. and 0.95 per cent. respectively of total nursing expenditure.