§ Sir Hugh Rossiasked the Prime Minister what progress is being made with the establishment of a review body for nurses, midwives, health visitors and the professions allied to medicine.
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§ The Prime MinisterThe Government have completed consideration of the response to the consultative document issued by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services on 22 February and will be establishing the review body without delay. Its terms of reference will be
To advise the Prime Minister on the remuneration, with effect from 1 April 1984, and subsequently, of
- i. Nursing staff, Midwives and Health Visitors employed in the National Health Service;
- ii. Physiotherapists, Radiographers, Remedical Gymnasts, Occupational Therapists, Orthoptists, Chiropodists, Dieticians, and related grades employed in the National Health Service".
The names of the chairman and members will be announced as soon as possible.
The review body will be independent and free to determine its own method of working and to take evidence from interested parties. The secretariat will be provided by the Office of Manpower Economics.
The Government will, as proposed in the consultative document, submit evidence on economic and financial considerations, and on such factors as recruitment, retention and motivation of the staff concerned.
The establishment of a review body for these groups recognises their special position within the National Health Service and in particular the fact that the great majority of staff in these groups have not engaged in industrial action. Accordingly the Government must reserve the right to exclude from the scope of the review body recommendations any groups that do resort to industrial action.
In fulfilment of our commitment to provide new pay arrangements for all nursing staff, the review body will deal with the remuneration of both qualified and unqualified nursing staff, but it will be asked to deal separately with these groups. The nursing and allied professions expressed concern about being combined in a single review body. The Government are satisfied that a single review body is appropriate but it will be asked to provide separate reports on the nursing staff and on the allied professions. Some other groups of professions sought inclusion in the review body arrangements but we have not thought it right to go beyond the groups outlined. The speech therapy profession, at its own request, will not be included.
The Government have decided that the health Departments should assume responsibility for negotiating changes in terms and conditions of service with the staff sides of the groups covered by the review body and for keeping it fully informed of any agreed or proposed changes in terms and conditions of service. The Department will look to NHS management for advice and assistance on such negotiations. No change is envisaged in the composition of the staff sides. There will no longer be any need for the nurses and midwives or the professional and technical 'A' Whitley councils. The health Departments in consultation with NHS management and staff interests will take the lead in devising new negotiating arrangements for speech therapists and other staff groups on the PT 'A' council who are not included in the review body arrangements.