§ 40. Mr. Orbachasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the situation affecting hospitals in the Stockport area which will have to restrict the intake of patients, particularly in geriatric wards, unless there is an improvement in the recruitment of nursing staff, and on steps that are being taken to remedy the situation.
§ Mr. AlisonThere are now 1,366 nurses serving in hospitals in the Stockport area, which is close to the establishment for which finance has been approved. There is no intention of restricting the intake of patients to geriatric or other wards.
The Stockport and Buxton Hospital Management Committee and Manchester Regional Hospital Board are making a special recruiting effort as a result of which there has been some improvement recently in nursing strength.