HC Deb 13 December 1965 vol 722 c199W
73. Mr. Hector Hughes

asked the Minister of Health if he will make a statement on the dearth of hospital nurses, the number of vacancies, the inducements offered to recruitment and the result of such inducements.

Mr. K. Robinson

In March when the last returns were made, the number of nurses in hospitals was the highest ever, but I know that many hospitals still need more staff. Details of local assessments of needs are not collected centrally. The current national nursing publicity campaign, designed to support local effort, draws attention among other matters to improvements in the pay and conditions of service and the response to it has been encouraging.