§ Dr. Roger Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the difference between pay awards for the years 1984–85 to nurses, doctors and professions allied to medicine such as radiographers and physiotherapists compared with other categories of worker in the National Health Service with whom agreements have been made.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkePay settlements averaging 4.5 per cent. of the estimated total paybill for 1984–85 have been agreed for non-review body staff groups in the NHS. Increases received by staff groups covered by pay review bodies are as follows:
Percentage increase in 1984–85 paybill Group Percentage Professions allied to medicine 7.8 Nurses and midwives 7.5 Doctors and dentists 4.6 The full year cost of the award to doctors and dentists is seven per cent.: it was implemented in two stages (three per cent. from 1 April 1984 and 3.9 per cent. from 1 November 1984).
§ Dr. Roger Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress has been made with regard to those groups of National Health Service workers with outstanding 1984–85 pay settlement increases.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeWe have made offers to engineering craftsmen and semi-skilled engineers and we expect a response on 1 November. We are also awaiting a response to an offer made to speech therapists. These three groups together represent 0.8 per cent. of the total NHS workforce.
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§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish the revised cash limits for regional health authorities as a result of the latest pay settlements.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeHealth authority cash limits have been increased to reflect the Government's contribution to the cost of the 1984 pay awards to staff not covered by review bodies. The table shows for each Regional Health Authority the revised Regional revenue cash limits.
Regional Health Authorities 1984–85 revised Revenue cash limits £ thousands Northern 586,409 Yorkshire 656,337 Trent 795,563 East Anglian 333,530 North West Thames 689,816 North East Thames 873,270 South East Thames 761,089 South West Thames 581,975 Wessex 474,978 Oxford 375,589 South Western 573,503 West Midlands 908,345 Mersey 482,620 North Western 809,687
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the latest percentage figures for cash increase, inflation and resultant input volume growth in 1984–85 for hospital and community health services and National Health Service total expenditure as a result of the latest pay settlements.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe table shows the figures for cash increases and illustrative assumptions about pay and price rises in 1984–85 over 1983–84 given to the Select Committee on Social Services in the Department's evidence of 11 April, adjusted to reflect subsequent changes to date including pay, remuneration and expenses awards and their financing arrangements.
Cash increase (per cent.) Illustrative increase in pay and prices (per cent.) Resultant growth in input volume Hospital and community health service* 6.7 5.5 1.1 NHS Total expenditure 6.6 5.7 0.9 * Current expenditure. The prices element of the figures continues to be based on the GDP deflator forecast and no assumption is made about switches between revenue and capital.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if the central Government contribution of £36 million towards the additional costs of the 1984–85 pay settlements for National Health Service staff not covered by review bodies will be carried over into 1985–86.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkePlans for NHS expenditure in 1985–86 will be made known in the usual way when the outcome of the 1984 public expenditure survey is announced.