asked the Minister for Health the total number of (a) general (b) mental handicap and (c) psychiatric student nurses recruited for each year from 1980 to 1988; the rate of weekly payment for such student nurses during each year 1980 to 1988; and the reductions in pay costs arising from the cuts in pay levels for 1987; and the estimated amount for 1988 and 1989.
Written Answers. - Student Nurses' Recruitment.
282.
(i) The tabular statement below sets out the numbers of students recruited for the years 1984-88. Information is not available for the years prior to 1984.
The 1988 figure is provisional as recruitment for 1988 has not yet been completed by all hospitals.
|
1984 |
1985 |
1986 |
1987 |
1988 |
|
|
General |
1,060 |
1,035 |
1,027 |
720 |
1,094 |
|
Psychiatric |
171 |
97 |
120 |
15 |
45 |
|
Mental Handicap |
143 |
131 |
106 |
106 |
143 |
(ii) The basic weekly pay of a first year student nurse for each of the years in question is as follows: 01.01.80, £66.23; 01.01.81, £81.57; 01.01.82, £91.28; 01.01.83, £101.59; 01.01.84, £109.83; 01.01.85, £116.23; 01.01.86, £125.90; 01.01.87, £132.26; 23.04.87, £54.00; 01.01.88, £58.00.
(iii) The revised pay levels for students introduced by the Government in 1987 gave rise to a reduction of approximately £0.275 million in pay costs in 1987.
The estimated amounts for 1988 and 1989 is £2 million and £3.6 million respectively. However, the recruitment of over 400 additional students in 1988 will reduce that saving by approximately £0.7 million in 1988 and £1.7 million in 1989.