HC Deb 14 July 1983 vol 45 cc433-4W
Mr. Ralph Howell

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many agency nurses are being employed by the National Health Service in Scotland.

Mr. John MacKay

At March 1982, the latest date for which complete figures are available, there were 336 individual hospitals with in-patient facilities. Information is not collected centrally about the availability of facilities in individual hospitals. However, for a number of reasons — such as maintenance and redecoration — not all hospitals are fully operational at any given time. Seven new hospitals are under construction.