§ Mr. Ashtonasked the Secretary of Stale for Social Services whether he will give an undertaking that no outside labour or students will be brought in by the Rampton Hospital during the current dispute.
§ Mr. AlisonSuch action has never been contemplated.
§ Mr. Ashtonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what effect the current disruption of hours at Rampton Hospital is having on the patients; and whether he will make an investigation into patient reaction to the new shift system.
§ Mr. AlisonPatients always take a little time to adjust to any change. The recent change in the shift system at Rampton and, in particular, the nurses' reaction to it, have no doubt upset some patients; it is however too soon to judge their long-term reaction. This must also be viewed in the light of the experience of many other psychiatric hospitals where similar shift systems are generally regarded as beneficial to patients.
§ Mr. Ashtonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what effect the working of a one day on/one day off shift system has had on security at Rampton Hospital over the last 10 years.
§ Mr. AlisonProvided that the wards are adequately staffed at all times, shift systems have no effect on security.
§ Mr. Ashtonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will investigate why the contracts of employment of nurses at Rampton Hospital state working hours of 7.30 a.m. to 9.30 p.m.; and why this contract has been broken.
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§ Mr. AlisonAll the nursing staff were given three clear months notice of the impending change in the shift system. I am advised that my Department has fully met any obligation which it would have had if it were an employer to whom the Contracts of Employment Act applied.
§ Mr. Ashtonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether he will agree to resume negotiations over working hours with the nursing staff at Rampton on condition that they operate the new shift system for the next month;
(2)whether he will meet a deputation of nursing staff from Rampton Hospital, Nottinghamshire, to discuss the new working hours arrangement;
(3)what action he is taking to settle the dispute over the new shift system for nursing staff at Rampton Hospital, Nottinghamshire.
§ Mr. AlisonAs the hon. Member knows, I received a deputation from the nurses at Rampton Hospital which he accompanied on 19th October. As I then indicated, it has always been my right hon. Friend's wish that the shift system for the 40-hour week should be one agreed with representatives of the staff if at all possible. I suggested to the deputation that a joint working party should now be set up under the chairmanship of the Department's Chief Nursing Officer to try again to work out a solution to this difficult problem. I very much hope that this proposal will be accepted by the nurses as a genuine effort on our part to reach agreement.