§ Mr. Willie W. Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, in view of the shortages of nursing staff in the mentally ill and mentally handicapped specialties, he will consider the introduction of further incentive payments to nurses in these areas.
§ Mr. HayhoeNursing staff in hospital-based mental illness and mental handicap services currently receive a pay lead of £165 per annum.
Although for a variety of reasons recruitment is traditionally difficult, the total number of nursing staff employed in these services in Great Britain rose by 2.3 per cent. between September 1983 and September 1984.
The nursing and midwifery staffs negotiating council is currently reviewing relativities in the nurse clinical grading structure, and the implications of any new structure for existing responsibility allowances and leads. When this work is complete, it will be for the independent review body which considers nurses' pay to recommend appropriate levels for any allowances and leads.