§ Lord Walton of Detchantasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the recruitment and retention of Medical Laboratory Scientific Officers (MLSOs) falling; how many unfilled vacanies there are; and whether a contributing cause of the problem is level of starting salary for a science graduate MLSO. [HL3500]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath)The 1999 Recruitment, Retention and Vacancy Survey did 95WA not separately identify Medical Laboratory Scientific Officers (MLSOs).
The National Advisory Group for Scientists and Technicians has been charged with developing plans to improve workforce planning, education, training and career development amongst that group of staff. The Department of Health is also developing a specific strategy for improving recruitment and retention, liaising closely with employers, professional bodies and trade unions to raise the profile of the work of scientists.
All non-review body staff have been offered an above inflation three-year pay deal (from April 1999). From 1 April 1999, trainee MLSOs received pay increases of up to 26 per cent and newly qualified MLSOs 7.1 per cent. From April 2000, all biomedical scientists (which includes medical laboratory scientific officers) have received 3.25 per cent or £300, whichever is the higher, and a formula for pay for the year 2001–2002 is agreed.
The National Health Service pay system is in need of modernisation. We are working in partnership with trade unions to negotiate a new NHS pay system which will offer all NHS staff a more attractive career structure, greater use of their skills and higher earnings for those who contribute most to the service and support modernisation of the NHS.