§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what measures have been taken by his Department and by regional health authorities to ensure that controls over districts' administrative and clerical establishments do not lead to the use of agency staff, nursing assistants or nursing auxiliaries to fulfil these functions.
§ Mr. HayhoeThe control and deployment of administrative and clerical staff within districts is a matter for regional and district health authorities to determine in456W the light of local circumstances. The overall reduction in agency staff, nursing assistants and nursing auxiliaries since 1981 suggests that management costs control has not led to the use of these staff to fulfil functions proper to administrative and clerical grades.
§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what measures have been taken (a) by his Department and (b) by regional health authorities to control districts' administrative and clerical establishments since 1979.
§ Mr. HayhoeNationally, health authorities have been told to examine critically administrative and clerical 457W staffing levels and, as they have done, to concentrate resources on staff providing direct care to patients. In the current year, they have been asked to exercise restraint pending a review of administrative and clerical staff being undertaken by the Management Board in conjunction with regional general managers. Management costs have also been controlled and overall authorities achieved a 14 per cent. reduction between 1980 and 1985. Locally, a variety of control measures have been employed. In some regions, for example, targets for administrative and clerical staffing levels have been agreed based on districts' short term programmes. Performance indicators are also used by regions and districts to investigate their performance.