§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, in the light of the fact that trained nurses are having to accept agency work during their off-duty periods to supplement their salaries, with consequential harmful effects on their National Health Service work, if he will examine this problem and consider taking steps to remedy it.
§ Dr. VaughanI do not accept the suggestion that nurses are compelled to undertake agency work during off-duty periods. I do not control the off-duty activities of NHS employees. Nurses undertake agency work for a variety of reasons. Agencies have a responsibility to ensure that nurses provided to NHS authorities or other clients are well able to cope with work which they undertake. I am confident that NHS nurse managers are able to deal with any case where there may be reason to suppose that a nurse's off-duty activities may affect the 487W performance of her normal duties. The most recent figures indicate that agency nurses represent less than 2 per cent. of qualified nursing staff in the NHS.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) in the light of the concern expressed by the Royal College of Nursing at the nursing situation in Newham affecting the general shortfall in staff nurses in the general wards, problems connected with recruiting nurses to the geriatric wards and the shortfall of established community nurses, if he will arrange for steps to be taken to rectify this situation;
(2) whether, following the concern expressed by the Royal College of Nursing at the poor standard of care which can be provided by the untrained auxiliary learner nurses when nursing posts for trained nurses remain vacant for long periods, he will take steps to remedy this situation;
(3) whether he has received the communication from the hon. Member for Newham, North-West enclosing a letter from Mr. Derek Williams regarding the availability and shortage of nurses generally and in Newham in particular; what is the nature of his reply; and what action he proposes to take to rectify this situation.
§ Dr. VaughanI received the letter forwarded by the hon. Member on 24 June and will reply to it as soon as possible. In recent years, there has been a continuing increase in the number of nurses employed in the National Health Service and in the proportion who are qualified, reflecting real terms increases in the resources allocated to the service. Within two years of the present Government's arrival in office, the total nursing pay bill increased by 50 per cent., most of which represented improvements in nurses' pay, allowances and conditions of service. Individual NHS authorities are responsible for dealing with particular problems in their areas.