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Hospitals (Domestic And Ancillary Services)

Volume 951: debated on Friday 9 June 1978

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asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the cost of using domestic staff to carry out the domestic and ancillary services now performed by nurses in National Health Service hospitals.

No such estimate is available. The extent to which nurses carry out duties which are more appropriate to domestic services and other ancillary staff varies considerably throughout the service.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many of the 200 health service districts have district domestic service managers.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many of the 14 health service regions have regional domestic service officers on their staffs.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if the organisational arrangements to monitor expenditure on domestic services within the National Health Service have been fully implemented;(2) if he is satisfied with the existing arrangements for monitoring the expenditure on cleaning services in National Health Service buildings; and if he will make a statement.

My Department does not prescribe specific organisational arrangements for monitoring expenditure on detailed matters such as domestic and cleaning services in the National Health Service. Appropriate monitoring arrangements which take account of local circumstances are a matter for the health authorities who have access to my specialist advisers in domestic services management.