§ Dr. CableTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the pay scales of trainee biomedical scientists in the NHS. [102346]
§ Mr. DenhamBiomedical scientists are classed as medical laboratory scientific officers (MLSOs) for pay and grading purposes. Their pay scales are attached to54W a common pay spine for National Health Service professional and technical staff. The current pay scale for trainee MLSOs, effective since 1 December 1998 is:
Spine point £ 00 7,476 01 7,726 02 7,988 03 8,260 04 8,544 05 8,839 06 9,146 07 9,463 08 9,796 Pay is negotiated in the Professional and Technical Staffs Whitley Council. The staff side is consulting their members on the NHS management side's offer of:
An increase in national pay scales for professional and technical B staff of 3 per cent.An increase of 13.5 per cent. in London Weighting Allowances which will restore them to 1995 values.Additional increases for staff working in cytology screening, with trainee cytology screeners getting 6.6 per cent. and qualified cytology screeners getting up to 11.4 per cent.Additional increases for staff in the MLSO grades, with trainee MLSOs getting up to 26 per cent., and MLSO1s and some MLSO2s getting 7.1 per cent.If accepted this offer would produce a new pay scale for trainee MLSOs effective from 1 April 1999 of:
Spine point £ 00 9,420 01 9,747 02 10,090 03 10,443
§ Dr. CableTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many biomedical scientists are employed in each NHS hospital trust; and at what grade. [102303]
§ Mr. DenhamThe information requested is not available centrally.
§ Dr. CableTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what educational and training qualifications biomedical scientists require to gain state registration. [102347]
§ Mr. DenhamThe title "state registered biomedical scientist" is not protected in law. Most biomedical scientists become state registered as medical laboratory technicians following acquisition of an approved honours degree in biomedical science and a minimum of one year's practical training in an approved laboratory. The approval of courses, qualifications and institutions for the purpose of state registration as a medical laboratory technician is a matter for the Medical Laboratory Technicians Board of the Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine.