§ 115. Mr. Chapmanasked the Minister of Health the total number of beds available in mental hospitals and mental deficiency institutions in the West Midlands; the number of nursing staff available and the estimated shortage of such staff; and what steps he is taking to remedy the position.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodIn the area of the Birmingham Regional Hospital Board there were on 30th June last 19,210 of these beds available. The number of nursing staff was 2,948, of whom about one-third were part-time. The shortage of nursing staff is estimated at 1,300. Efforts to obtain more nurses include intensive advertising and recruitment campaigns, the introduction of nursing cadet schemes and liaison with women and youth organisations.
§ 116. Mr. Chapmanasked the Minister of Health what estimate he makes of the number of institutional and hospital beds available in the West Midlands for the elderly chronic sick; and of the number and shortage of nurses in the institutions concerned.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodIn the Birmingham Regional Hospital Board's area there234W were, on 31st December last, 6,089 beds for the chronic sick. The number of nurses in chronic sick hospitals on 30th June last was 889, of whom more than one-third are part-time, but this does not include nurses in chronic sick wards in other hospitals, the numbers of which are not separately ascertainable. For this reason it is not possible to estimate the total additional number of additional nurses required.