§ Lord Alportasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they concur that the allegations contained in the advertisement inserted by the Royal College of Nursing and appearing on page 9 of The Times newspaper of 14th January 1986 are well founded.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Security (Baroness Trumpington)The Government do not accept that the Royal College of Nursing's allegations are well-founded. At regional and district level, despite local variations in structure, there is a senior nurse whose main responsibility is the provision of professional advice to their authority. Where this has not been proposed structures have not been approved.
We believe that general management will improve standards of patient care and will also enhance the job satisfaction and career opportunities of all the professions—including nursing.