Mr. ALFRED DAVIES (Clitheroe)asked the Minister of Health whether he 67W promised to sanction the new rule of the General Nursing Council before it was passed by the council on the 17th instant; and, if not, can he explain why the chairman of the council instantly convened a special meeting of the council for the 24th instant to carry the new rule into effect, thereby assuming that sanction was assured?
§ Mr. HAYDAYasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the widespread complaints regarding the treatment by many hospital matrons of the overworked nurses under their control; and whether, in view of the fact that the new rule passed by the General Nursing Council would tend to give the matrons on the General Nursing Council even greater, because more unrestrained, powers over the working nurses of the Kingdom who become registered under the Act, he will withhold his sanction of the rule?
§ Mr. GRUNDYasked the Minister of Health whether he has received a rule passed by the General Nursing Council for England and Wales on the 17th instant, which rescinds a rule only laid before this House last November; whether this new rule provided for the dissolution of the committees of the council which the existing rule arranged should continue to act until the present council was dissolved not later than next December; whether he is aware of the allegation that the new rule was passed by the votes of matrons of hospitals and other employers of nurses with the object of excluding from the committees of the council those representatives of working nurses who have been frequently compelled to criticise and oppose proposals which would have been injurious to the interests of working nurses; and whether, in view of the necessity of maintaining direct representation of working nurses, he will withhold his sanction to the proposed new rule until it has been laid upon the Table of this House for consideration?
§ Sir A. MONDThe Chairman of the General Nursing Council consulted me as to these Amendments, and I informed him that I was prepared to sanction any rules consistent with the Act which the council thought necessary to speed up registration and to secure an adequate electorate before the first elections to the council are required by the Act to be held.68W The rules already provide for the annual re-election of committees in the second and subsequent councils, and the extension of this provision to the present council is in accordance with the usual practice of similar bodies. The council consider that a reconstitution of existing committees will expedite the formation of the register, and the experience of the last six months leads mc to share their view. I strongly deprecate the suggestion that the matrons on the council represent the interests of the employers, or that they are any less solicitous than other nurses for the welfare of the nursing profession, and I sec no reason whatever for thinking that the new rule will be detrimental to the interests of working nurses.