§ Mr. Patrick Jenkinasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he is taking to remedy the shortage of chiropodists in the National Health Service.
§ Mr. EnnalsI accept the importance of increasing the supply of registered chiropodists to the National Health Service, recognising chiropody services as an area of priority for development even within present resource constraints. We are making progress. This autumn sees the first output of qualified chiropodists from the new chiropody school in Durham and the first intake of a new school in Huddersfield. A firm proposal to open a new school in the South-West of England is under active consideration, and similar initiatives elsewhere are at a preliminary stage. In addition, the Department recently issued advice to assist NHS authorities to improve and develop their chiropody services.
§ Mr. Patrick Jenkinasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to amend the conditions of service for National Health Service chiropodists to remedy the anomaly that full-time workers can earn substantially less than part-time chiropodists for an equal number of hours.
§ Mr. EnnalsThe remuneration and terms and conditions of service for chiropodists in the National Health Service, whether as employees or independent contractors, are matters for the
852W
§ Mr. OrmeFollowing is the information. Expenditure has been revalued to November 1977 prices since this is the latest information available.
Professional and Technical A Whitley Council. I understand that the Council is committed to a review of the basis of payment of contractual fees when a suitable opportunity occurs, to ensure, among other things, that they compare fairly with the rate of remuneration of full-time employees.
§ Mr. Patrick Jenkinasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any evidence that the implementation of the recommendations of the Halsbury Committee of Inquiry has encouraged more chiropodists to seek full- or part-time work for the National Health Service, particularly among those newly qualified.
§ Mr. EnnalsBetween 1973, the year preceding the Halsbury inquiry and 1976, the year following the implementation of its main recommendations, the number of State-registered chiropodists in the United Kingdom rose by only 1.4 per cent. from 4,809 to 4,976. But over the same period the number of full-time chiropodists employed in the NHS in England rose by 45 per cent. from 714 to 1,038 and the total number of whole-time equivalent NHS chiropodists in England rose by 21 per cent. from 1,382 to 1,675. It may reasonably be assumed that much of the increase is attributable to higher numbers of newly qualified practitioners entering the National Health Service than in the past.