§ Mr. Bagierasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will make a statement about the salaries of radiographers who, in some hospitals, are planning to take industrial action.
§ Mrs. CastleThe Government have accepted that salaries of nurses, radiographers and other professions supplementary to medicine were out of line. I stated this in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Eccles (Mr. Carter-Jones) on 14th May—[Vol. 873, c. 1108–14.]—and on 23rd May—[Vol. 876, c. 691.]—during the debate on National Health Service pay. I announced that the Halsbury Inquiry would be set up for nurses and that its application to radiographers and other professions supplementary to medicine would be discussed urgently with the Staff Side.
The Staff Side formally agreed that Lord Halsbury should examine each profession, including radiographers, and recommend a pay increase that would be back-dated in full to 23rd May. All radiographers will, therefore, be getting a general salary increase payable with effect from 23rd May in addition to the stage 3 increase agreed by their Staff Side from 1st April and in addition to the threshold payments they are currently receiving and will continue to receive.
I am aware that radiographers in some hospitals are contemplating industrial action. I ask them, in view of all that has been agreed in such a short space of time on behalf of their profession, to put the interests of the patients and the 199W National Health Service first and to await the conclusion of Lord Halsbury's review before taking industrial action.