HC Deb 19 December 1969 vol 793 c466W
Mr. David Mitchell

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the number of trained nurses per hospital bed in the years 1939, 1950, 1960 and 1969, excluding and including nursing auxiliaries, respectively.

Dr. John Dunwoody

In terms of whole-time equivalents of staff, approximately:

1950 1960 1969
Qualified nurses and midwives 0.15 0.17 0.26
Qualified nurses and midwives, nursing auxiliaries and nursing assistants 0.20 0.25 0.36

Information for 1939 is not available.

Notes:

(a) The figures are based on:—

(i) Staff figures at 31st December, 1950, 30th September, 1960 and 31st March, 1969.

(ii) The number of hospital beds, including those temporarily unavailable (about 1 per cent. on average over the year), at 31st December, 1950, 1960 and 1968.

(b) Nursing auxiliaries are employed in non-psychiatric hospitals and nursing assistants in psychiatric hospitals.

Comparable information for 1939 is not available, as 1939 was pre-National Health Service.