§ Mr. Bishopasked the Minister of Health if he will give the figures relating to the shortage of nursing, medical, consultant and other staff for hospitals in the Sheffield Regional Hospital Board area; and what action is being taken to fill the vacancies.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonDetails of local assessments of need for staff other than certain medical and dental grades are not collected centrally. In September,74W 1965, when the last returns were made, the numbers of nursing and midwifery staff employed in the Sheffield region were the highest ever, but I know that many of the hospitals in the region still need more. The local response to the current national nursing publicity campaign is very encouraging; and this campaign is being supported by a carefully planned local effort.
For consultant medical staff I have approved in principle increases equivalent to 138 whole-time posts in the region over the five year period ending 1968, and the equivalent of 54 new whole-time posts have so far been agreed bringing the present total to 509: 12 posts are vacant.
The number of posts in other medical grades is being increased where necessary, within the limits of the financial resources and medical manpower available, and is at present 883: there are 56 vacancies.