§ Mr. Cordleasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many nurses need to be recruited to bring all National Health Service hospitals up to their recognised establishments.
§ Mr. AlisonThere is no nationally accepted basis for deciding the nurse staffing establishments of hospitals. Individual hospital authorities are responsible for assessing the nurse staffing requirements of the hospitals they administer and for recruitment. Information about the number of nurses who need to be recruited to bring all National Health Service hospitals up to the locally determined establishments is not readily available.
§ Mr. Cordleasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the present number of staff nurses employed in National Health Service hospitals.
§ Mr. Alison33,309 in whole-time equivalent terms in England and Wales at 31st March 1973.
§ Mr. Cordleasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many student nurses are currently undergoing training in National Health Service hospitals.
192W
§ Mr. Alison51,134 in England and Wales at 31st March 1973.
§ Mr. Cordleasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much a staff nurse is paid in her last year of training and her first year after qualification.
§ Mr. AlisonA student nurse in a non-psychiatric hospital receives in her last year of training an allowance of £819, £948, £981 or £1,014 according to the age at which she entered training. In her first year after qualification as a staff nurse she receives a salary of £1,191. The rates in psychiatric hospitals are £99 higher.
§ Mr. Cordleasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps are being taken to improve conditions and pay for nurses and to increase recruitment of staff.
§ Mr. AlisonThe pay and conditions of service of nurses in the National Health Service are determined by negotiation on the Nurses and Midwives Whitley Council. The Whitley Council is currently engaged on negotiations under stage 3 of the counter-inflation programme; agreement has been reached on increases in the basic pay with effect from 1st April 1974 and discussions are continuing on other matters within the context of the pay code.
My Department provides background support to the recruitment efforts of hospital authorities by means of publicity campaigns in the national Press and in cinemas, production of posters, brochures and films and provision of exhibition material.
The total number, in whole-time equivalent terms, of nursing and midwifery staff in National Health Service hospitals in England and Wales increased by over 9,000 in the year ended 31st March 1973.