§ Mr. Will Owenasked the Minister of Health what action is being taken to recruit male nurses for the hospital service in the development areas; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. SnowRecruitment of staff is a matter for hospital authorities and both in and outside development areas they undertake a wide range of nursing publicity and recruitment activities. For the Hospital Regions where there are development areas, the proportion of male nursing staff to total nursing staff is higher than the average for England and Wales. Nursing as a career for men is being publicised nationally and the number of male nursing staff has been rising steadily.