§ Mr. Simon Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, what is the average pay (a) of trainee state enrolled nurses, (b) of trainee state registered nurses, and (c) of staff nurses, expressed as a percentage of the national average wage, for each year since 1974.
§ Mr. NewtonInformation in the form requested is not available. The basic salary scales for staff in each of the three grades are given in the following table.
Settlement Date Student Nurse Pupil Nurse Staff Nurse First Year Third year First Year Second Year Minimum Maximum 23 May 1974 1,125 1,323 1,125 1,224 1,692 2,202 1 April 1975 1,560 1,740 1,560 1,641 2,121 2,646 1 April 19765 1,872 2,052 1,872 1,953 2,433 2,958 I April 19776 2,002 2,182 2,002 2,083 2,563 3,106 1 April 19787 2,158 2,356 2,158 2,248 2,775 3,385 1 April 1979 82,452 82,667 82,452 82,550 93,150 93,813 1 August 19791 2,548 2,782 2,548 2,654 3,368 4,107 1 April 19802 3,104 3,390 3,104 3,234 4,198 5,119 1 April 1981 3,290 3,593 3,290 3,428 4,450 5,426 23 August 19823 3,695 4,035 3,695 3,850 4,998 6,094 1 April 1984 3,917 4,277 3,917 4,081 5,398 6,582 1 April 1985 4,100 4,523 4,100 4,275 5,708 6,960 1 February 19864 4,100 4,580 4,100 4,275 6,000 7,175 1 July 1986 4,325 4,875 4,325 4,510 6,475 7,750 Notes 1 1st stage Clegg Commission award 2 Includes 2nd stage Clegg Commission award 3 Two year agreement 4 Second stage of 1985/86 award 5 Includes £312 non-enhanceable flat rate supplement 6 Includes £312 non-enhanceable flat rate supplement plus increase of 5 per cent. subject to a minimum of £130pa and a maximum of £208pa 7Includes £130 non-enhanceable flat rate supplement 8lncludes £104 non-enhanceable flat rate supplement 9lncludes £130 non-enhanceable flat rate supplement
§ Mr. Simon Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report figures for the difference between the funded establishment number of nurses, and the number of qualified nurses employed by the National Heath Service (a) in England and Wales in total, (b) in each regional health authority and (c) in each district health authority, for each year since 1974 for which figures are available.
§ Mr. NewtonI regret that detailed information of this nature is not available centrally. However, I am aware of the results of a survey of a sample of health authorities in England, conducted for the Review Body for Nursing Staff, Midwives and Health Visitors, which showed that at 31 March 1984 and 1985 an average of 2.5 per cent. of wholetime equivalent funded posts for nursing and midwifery staff had remained vacant for over three months.
§ Mr. Simon Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he will take to reduce the shortfall of National Health Service nurses below funded establishment numbers in (a) Greater London and (b) inner London; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NewtonThe National Health Service Management Board has commissioned a study into the nursing services in London. The steering group is currently processing the information obtained and is aiming to complete its study and report to the management board by late spring. We will then consider what local or national232W In addition, staff in these grades are eligible for additional payments mainly for working overtime and unsocial hours. Present average earnings (excluding London Weighting) of students/pupils and staff nurses are estimated to be about 12 per cent. and 17 per cent. respectively greater than basic pay.
The hon. Member may wish to refer to part A of the "New Earnings Survey" for information on national average gross earnings, copies of which are in the Library.
action may be required to remedy any problems revealed. A number of district health authorities are already taking steps such as the provision of free overnight accommodation, subsidised transport and the provision of créches.
§ Mr. Simon Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has to increase the contribution of private health care organisations to the cost of training nurses.
§ Mr. NewtonWe intend to discuss with repesentatives of the private health care sector the ways in which its contribution to nurse training can be expanded in the light of the Project 2000 proposals of the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing Midwifery and Health Visiting.
§ Mr. Simon Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement about his plans to reform training for the nursing profession.
§ Mr. NewtonOn 5 February, we received proposals from the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting for the reform of education and training for the nursing profession. These proposals were based on the Council's Project 2000, on which the profession had been widely consulted.
In company with ministerial colleagues in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland we will shortly be consulting all health authorities on the management implications, particularly on manpower and costings, for the National 233W Health Service. At the same time we will be asking the views of other interested organisations, including those representing staff interests. This consultation process will be completed by the end of July; decisions on the way forward will be taken in the light of the views expressed.
§ Mr. Simon Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received on the subject of district health authorities' ability to recruit nurses up to the funded establishment number.
§ Mr. NewtonWe have not received any formal representations from district health authorities on their ability to recruit nurses up to their funded establishment (for which there is no central definition, and which will therefore vary between authorities). We have, however, received a number of letters from health authority employees referring to nurse recruitment difficulties in particular localities and specialties.
§ Mr. Simon Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report the number of qualified state enrolled nurses and of qualified state registered nurses employed by the National Health Service for each year since 1974.
§ Mr. NewtonI shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.
§ Mr. Simon Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has to recruit persons under 18 years of age to work as National Health Service nursing auxiliaries.
§ Mr. NewtonThere is no statutory mimimum age requirement for recruitment to the nursing auxiliary grade. It is therefore for individual health authorities to decide whether or not to recruit persons under 18 years of age to that grade. Such decisions would have regard to the particular location and the specialty involved. However, the training of 16 to 18-year-olds as support workers to nurses is part of the recently announced feasibility study of the scope for greater use of the youth training scheme in the National Health Service. This study is purely exploratory.