§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what is his estimate of the number of nurses who leave the profession annually as a result of back pain;
(2) how many days are lost annually by nurses as a result of back pain.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeWe do not collect this sort of detailed information centrally.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what studies have been made into the incidence of back pain among nurses; what recommendations have been made; and what action he is taking.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe Health and Safety Commission has recently published a report of the Health Service advisory committee on the lifting of patients. This 207W refers to a number of studies on back pain among Health Service workers, but we are not aware of any comprehensive study into this question.
We recently commissioned a major research project by the University of Surrey into back injuries sustained by nurses and other Health Service workers. The study is expected to be completed in August and is expected to produce a number of recommendations aimed at reducing the incidence of back injuries. When we have that report we shall examine those recommendations, together with those of the Health and Safety Commission and other reports, and consider what further advice can usefully be given to health authorities.