§ Mr. Matesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total cost of employing (a) qualified and (b) unqualified nurses in the National Health Service during 1974.
§ Dr. OwenInformation is not available in the form requested. In 1973–74, the last complete year for which figures are available, the cost to the hospital service in England of the pay of nursing staff both qualified and unqualified was approximately £416 million.
§ Mr. Matesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total number of qualified nurses employed within the National Health Service on 30th September 1975; and what percentage this represented of the total nursing force.
§ Mr. MeacherI regret that figures for 30th September 1975 are not yet available. On 30th September 1974 there were, in whole-time equivalent terms, 156,040 qualified nurses and certified mid-wives, employed by the National Health Service in England. This represented 51.8 per cent. of the total nursing and midwifery force.
§ Mr. Matesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many qualified nurses were appointed to posts within the National Health Service during each month of 1975; and how this compared with the figures for the previous two years.
§ Mr. MeacherI regret that information in this form is not available.
The number of qualified nurses and certified midwives in post in England was, in whole-time equivalent terms, as follows:
On 30th September 1972 151,264 On 30th September 1973 152,178 On 30th September 1974 (latest available) 156,040
§ Mr. Matesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many student nurses were recruited to the National Health Service during each month of 178W 1975; and what advance this represented on the figures for the previous two years.
§ Mr. MeacherI regret that figures are not available in the form requested.
The report of the General Nursing Council for England and Wales, which will shortly be laid before Parliament, will give figures for student nurses commencing training for the year ended 31st March 1975, with a comparison with previous years.
§ Mr. Matesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many nurses, expressed in terms of whole-time equivalents, were supplied by nurses' banks on 31st March and 30th September 1975, respectively.
§ Mr. MeacherIn the 10 regions for which figures are available, and the London postgraduate teaching hospitals, 331 nurses were supplied by nurse banks on 31st March 1975 and 867 on 30th September 1975, in whole-time equivalent terms.
§ Mr. Matesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many nurses' banks were in existence on 1st October 1975; what was the total cost of administering these banks; and how many qualified nurses were primarily engaged in their administration.
§ Mr. MeacherThere were 107 nurse banks in existence on 1st October 1975 in England. I regret that information is not available centrally about the staff engaged in their administration or the cost.
§ Mr. Matesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the average total hourly remuneration worked for a State registered nurse in a National Health Service general ward, with three years' qualified nursing experience, at the fourth incremental stage on the Whitley Council pay scale, taking into account employers' contribution for insurance and superannuation, uniform, and laundering excluding holidays and week-ends, and the total hourly remuneration per hour worked of an agency nurse in comparable circumstances.
§ Mr. MeacherIt is estimated that the hourly rate of a State registered nurse in 179W a National Health Service general hospital ward outside London on the basis given is £1.58 and that for an agency nurse £1.42. The agency commission has been calculated at the rate of 12½ per cent.
§ Mr. Matesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what were the costs on 31st August and 31st October 1975, respectively, of staffing one nursing position in a National Health Service general ward for 52 weeks each of 40 hours by a State registered nurse with three years' qualified nursing experience, at the fourth incremental stage on the Whitley Council pay scale, taking into account employers' contribution for insurance and superannuation, uniform, laundering, and provision for replacement during the holidays through sickness and administration, and by a state registered agency nurse in comparable circumstances.
§ Mr. MeacherThe cost of staffing one position in a National Health Service general hospital ward outside London by a State registered nurse on the basis given is estimated, on both dates, to be £3,328 per annum, assuming replacement for annual and sick leave absences by a nurse at the same point on the salary scale, etc.
Due to a wide variation in nurses agencies charges it is not possible to give an estimate of the average costs of an agency nurse at 31st August 1975. The cost of staffing one position with an agency nurse on 31st October is estimated to be £2,948 per annum. The agency commission has been calculated at the rate of 12½ per cent.
It is not possible to give an estimate of the cost of administration involved in either case.
§ Mr. Matesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total cost of employing agency nurses within the National Health Service on 31st August and 31st October, respectively.
§ Mr. MeacherThe information is not available centrally. Payments to nurses agencies in 1973–74 totalled £9.9 million in England.
§ Mr. Matesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the average age and qualified experience of State enrolled 180W and State registered nurses employed within the National Health Service at the latest convenient date.
§ Mr. MeacherI regret that this information is not available.
§ Mr. Matesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many qualified nurses directly employed in the National Health Service are primarily engaged in administrative duties.
§ Mr. MeacherIn England about 12,300 nurses and midwives, in whole-time equivalent terms, out of some 300,000 nursing staff on 30th September 1974, the latest date for which information is available.
§ Mr. Matesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many agency nurses have transferred to (a) full-time and (b) part-time employment within the National Health Service since 1st October.
§ Mr. MeacherIn the 11 regions for which figures are available, and the London postgraduate teaching hospitals, 177 agency nurses have transferred to full-time employment in the National Health Service and 30 to part-time employment. In one further region, 101 agency nurses transferred full or part-time.
§ Mr. Matesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many qualified nurses left the National Health Service during the three months ended 30th September 1975.
§ Mr. MeacherI regret that this information is not available.