HC Deb 09 March 1976 vol 907 cc200-1W
Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action she will take to remedy the shortage of speech therapists in the Macclesfield health area; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Alfred Morris

There are 1.3 staff whole-time-equivalent in the hospitals and 3.3 in the community services of Macclesfield district. The main national priority is to increase the number of qualified speech therapists from whom individual area health authorities can recruit. This is being achieved, for example, by an expansion in the number of places available on training courses.