§ Mr. Ron Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will confirm that wards in East Cumberland are empty because they are understaffed; and what action she proposes to deal with this situation.
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§ Mr. Ron Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will confirm that seven nurses are being made redundant at the Garlands Hospital, Carlisle; and if she will make a statement.
§ Dr. OwenSeven nurses at Garlands Hospital were given redundancy notices in error. The notices have been withdrawn. It has never been the policy of Cumbria Area Health Authority to make any nurse redundant.
§ Mr. Ron Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many notices have been given to the nursing profession by the Cumbria Health Authority during the past three weeks.
§ Dr. OwenI regret that the authority has no vacancies for qualified nurses to which 10 student and four pupil nurses can be appointed on qualification. They will, however, receive preference for any future vacancies which should arise; and are being advised of any vacancies regionally and nationally.
§ Mr. Ron Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will confirm that the City General Hospital is understaffed; and if she will make a statement about what action she will take to remedy the situation.
§ Dr. OwenAt 31st December 1975 there were 98 nursing staff in post compared with an establishment of 100.7. In addition there are usually about 15 student or pupil nurses depending on training requirements. A study has been started to consider the nursing establishment and manpower planning in the East Cumbria District. Staffing levels in other disciplines are up to funded establishment.
§ Mr. Ron Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she is satisfied with the distribution of money allocated to the hospital service in Carlisle; and if she will make a statement.
§ Dr. OwenUnder the revised formula for distribution of resources adopted fol-206W lowing a report from the Resource Allocation Working Party the Northern Region is among those whose current allocation falls short of the target allocation as measured by the formula. Because of this, in order to bring its allocation closer to the target, the Northern Region will receive in 1976–77 an addition for development as well as extra revenue to cover expenditure resulting from the commissioning of new major hospital building schemes. My right hon. Friend has asked the regional health authorities in their allocations to areas to observe as far as possible the same principles as we have applied in making allocations to regions. It will be for the Northern Regional Health Authority, in consultation with the area health authorities to determine the relative order of financial deprivation of areas within the region and it is within this context that the financial allocation to Cumbria Area Health Authority will be made. This is an interim arrangement for 1976–77 only.
The Resource Allocation Working Party is further considering, among other things, the question of allocations to areas and districts, and we expect to receive a further report in the middle of the year.
§ Mr. Ron Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will make a statement on the increase in administrative staff by 5 per cent. and a decrease in nursing staff by 10 per cent. since health reorganisation.
§ Mr. Ron Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will give an undertaking that patient care will not suffer as a result of an increase in administrative staff, and a decrease in nursing staff, in the hospital service in Cumbria.
§ Dr. OwenIn fact in the Cumbria area there has been an increase in hospital nursing staff of 345–12 per cent.—since reorganisation of the health service.
§ Mr. Ron Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much additional room space is being sought for 207W administrative work in the hospital service in Carlisle since reorganisation of the health service.
§ Dr. OwenThe Cumbria Area Health Authority is considering its long-term office accommodation requirements. No decision has yet been taken on the total accommodation needs.