§ 23. Mr. Willie W. Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland when the latest regulations concerning 250W standards of nurses' residential recommendation were issued by his Department; and when he intends to update them.
§ Mr. John MacKayThe Building Standards (Scotland) Regulations 1981, which came into operation on 17 March 1982, prescribe standards to be observed in providing accommodation, inter alia, for nurses or in adapting existing accommodation for that purpose.
Guidance on the scale and design of residential accommodation provided by the NHS for staff is contained in a hospital building note published in 1964 which is currently being updated.
§ Mr. Willie W. Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide a table showing the real net increase in monthly wages of the average student nurse, a staff nurse and ward sister, respectively, following the last pay award, assuming all are in nurses' residential accommodation and paying the full residential charges.
§ Mr. John MacKayThe relevant figures for nurses occupying accommodation appropriate to their grade are as follows:
Basic Pay† Increase Monthly‡ £ Accommodation║ Charge Increase Monthly £ Basic Net Increase Monthly (a-b) £ Student Nurse* 35.16 8.50 26.66 Staff Nurse* 51.66 19.34 32.32 Sister II* 65.84 34.00 31.84 Notes:
* There is no definition of "average nurse". The figures are therefore derived from the pay of a second year student nurse, and a staff nurse and a sister II both on the third point of the appropriate scale.
† Basic pay is quoted, but most nurses in these grades undertake some work at unsocial hours, for which the basic rate payment is enhanced; and some are paid allowances for particular duties or nursing particular groups, eg psychiatric and geriatric leads.
‡ The increase is calculated at 23 August 1982 on basic pay. Many nurses will have received one and in some cases two increments since the August 1982 pay award. Deductions for tax and national insurance and superannuation contributions are variable and standard net increases cannot be realistically calculated.
║ The increase reflects the revised charges payable from 1 October 1982. In accordance with the nurses and midwives Whitley council agreement of 1981 the charges payable by nurses for acommodation provided by health boards are being increased by stages to a realistic level.
§ Mr. Willie W. Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of nursing staff in National Health Service hospitals in Scotland live in flats and other properties owned by the National Health Service; and how many student nurses live in this type of accommodation.
§ Mr. John MacKayThis information is not available.
§ Mr. Willie W. Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to improve living accommodation facilities for nurses resident in National Health Service properties.
§ Mr. John MacKayThis is a matter for Health Boards.