§ Mr. T. GRIFFITHSasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the growing resentment amongst registered nurses that the authority of their governing body, i.e., the General Nursing Council for England and Wales, has been usurped by medical men; that the nurses' certificates of registration are signed by two medical men alone, not having the signature of one registered nurse member 483W of the Council upon them; that medical men are chairmen of the Council, finance, mental, and registration committees; that although the nurses supply all the money for the administration of the Nurses' Registration Act, 1919, the medical man appointed to the chair of the finance committee was elected by the casting vote of the chairman of the Council, himself a medical man, in spite of the fact that the nurse on that committee nominated for the position has special experience of finance; and whether he will make representations to the Council on this matter?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThere is no evidence of any such feeling in the nursing profession, and the marked increase in the number of recent applications for admission to the register seems to me to negative the suggestion contained in the hon. Member's question. The nurse members form two-thirds of the Council, and it is within their power to control the selection of committee. I understand that the chairman of three out of six standing committees are doctors, but I have no information as to the other points in the question and I am not prepared to make representations to the Council on matters which are wholly within their discretion.
§ Mr. R. RICHARDSONasked the Minister of Health if he is aware that certain members of the General Nursing Council for England and Wales are appointing personal friends to lucrative posts in the General Nursing Council offices; that a lady who is a close personal friend of the matron, who is chairman of the general purposes committee, which committee was appointed by the Council to interview and appoint a suitable person, was appointed to the post of interviewing officer at a salary of £250 per annum without the full committee being summoned, thus making the appointment ultra vices; that, while this lady is already in receipt of a pension of £250 per annum from public funds and has no special qualifications for the post, many working nurses who have been incapacitated through war service from undertaking heavy work but who have fitted themselves for secretarial posts are needing employment; why, as all registered nurses are paying for the upkeep of the General Nursing Council offices, the nursing posts are not advertised so that 484W those belonging to other societies or to none can share in these appointments; and whether he will see that this is done with regard to the post of interviewing officer?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe General Nursing Council have not notified me whom they propose to appoint to the post of interview officer nor are they under any obligation to do so, the selection being entirely within their discretion. This appointment is a temporary one for four months and it is not customary to advertise for candidates to fill temporary posts of this kind.