Orders of the Day — Local Authorities (Hours of Employment in Connection with Hospitals and Insti Tutions) Bill.

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at on 3 December 1937.

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Mr. Adams:

Yes. These are municipal hospitals. It is clear from these figures that the men are better organised than the women and that through their trade union they have used the requisite amount of pressure, but the women are incapable of so doing. The main support of nurses is supposed to be the College of Nursing, which has sent a circular to Members of Parliament, in which they deprecate a number of things. Apparently, they would not have legislation which would reduce hours. They think that any improvement should be obtained voluntarily. They say: It is common knowledge that Bills have been brought before Parliament which aim at reducing the working hours of the indoor employés to 48 per week, and to enforce overtime pay for overtime work. Whilst appreciating the good intentions of the sponsors of Bills, who seek to attain such ends through legislation, the Council of the College consider it neither in the interest of the nursing profession nor of the sick public to compel a standard of hours of duty by rigid legislation. All legislative control is rigid, but it does not follow that there would not be elasticity in the 96 hours during the fortnight. Any body or council which makes a statement of that character ought to be removed in the general interests of the College and nurses. And they proceed in this way—I really have never listened to more arrant nonsense: The introduction of extra pay for extra time would tend to lower the standards of work which for so long have been the tradition as well as the pride of British nurses. Is the nursing profession remunerated by such high salaries that its members can afford to go without pay for the additional hours they may work? Would they be demoralised by having an increase of salary, as is suggested in this marvellous document? it has been my privilege as Chairman of the Health and Hospitals Committee for a number of years to sign the indentures of many probationers to this profession, and of course to deliver a short homily as to their duty to their patients. and to the hospitals. It seems to me that if I have to do this in hospitals where nurses are worked 80 hours a week it would be a complete mockery to suggest that they should be cheerful on every occasion, if necessary humorous, and should respond to the dignity of a profession which by these long hours was sapping their spirits and health and which was merely a sweated occupation.

I had the privilege recently to visit one or two of the great municipal hospitals in the United States of America. At Los Angeles there is one of the largest in the United States. It cost £2,200,000 in money and has bedding accommodation for 3,300. That hospital is run most efficiently on a 40-hour week and a five day week, and in certain of the hospitals it was suggested that a further reduction of hours would be in the general interests of the whole community. The managing director and the executive committee of this hospital in Los Angeles informed me that these shorter hours had been the means of improving the health standards of the whole staff and that they were relatively free from sickness. Neither the patients nor the executive committee nor the nurses and the staff concerned would dream of going back to the old hours, which were substantially more than 40 hours per week.

A great national movement is going on in this country for a reduction of the hours of labour. The financial burdens which have been referred to must be subordinated to a reasonable treatment of the servants of the municipalities. The scarcity of nurses would undoubtedly be remedied if there were improved conditions, and that would also apply to the voluntary hospitals. Already, due to the wisdom of the Ministry of Health, there have been set up joint hospital boards, in which the voluntary hospitals consult with the municipal hospitals, and vice versa. on various matters. There is no question that the joint hospital boards throughout the country, as far as the voluntary hospitals are concerned, would respond to the changed conditions and reduce the hours of work of their nurses on the same lines as the municipal hospitals. It might take a long period to do so, but, if the Bill were given a Second Reading it would be possible, on the Committee stage, to make Amendments to meet that situation. In the interests of the House, in the interests of the patients, in the interests of the family life of the nursing profession, and in the interests of national fitness, hon. Members ought to give the Bill a Second Reading.