§ 32. Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will make a statement on the recruitment of nurses following the recent pay increases.
§ Mr. Alec JonesInformation is not yet available to assess recruitment trends since the pay award.
§ 68. Mr. Ernest G. Perryasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps she is taking to deal with the situation regarding nursing staff in many London hospitals, arising from the backdating of the Halsbury Report to 1st April 1974.
§ Mr. Alec JonesI am aware that the implementation with effect from 1st April 1974 of the increased annual leave for nurses, recommended by the Committee of Inquiry under Lord Halsbury, has given rise to operational problems in a number of hospitals. Where difficulties have been reported the attention of the NHS employing authority has been drawn to the Whitley Council agreement whereby leave not taken may be carried over to the following leave year. The effect of the additional leave on nurse staffing may then be spread over the period ending 31st March 1976.