HC Deb 21 January 1954 vol 522 cc1182-4
21. Mr. Blenkinsop

asked the Minister of Health the number of full-time and the number of part-time specialists employed in the National Health Service as at 31st December, 1952, and 31st December, 1953, or the latest available date, showing the number separately for each hospital board area.

Mr. Iain Macleod

With permission I will circulate in the Official Report a table giving the information that is at present available.

Mr. Blenkinsop

Will the right hon. Gentleman keep this matter very much in mind in view of the strong feeling that exists that part-time specialists are being too much favoured to the detriment of full-time specialists and that this may have a very dangerous effect upon the Health Service as a whole?

Mr. Macleod

Yes, I shall certainly bear that in mind. I think the hon. Member will see from the figures that some trends in Newcastle, in which he is particularly interested, are not general throughout the country.

Mr. Marquand

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that there seems to be some feeling in certain sections of the medical profession that the Minister may have been encouraging, or directing, a change from full-time to part-time service? Would he care to deny that?

Mr. Macleod

It certainly is not a matter in which I have taken any initiative at all. If the right hon. Member would like to study the figures he will find that comparing 31st December, 1952, with 30th September, 1953—which is the latest date—the numbers employed full-time and for hours of work part-time

Hospital Board Area (including teaching hospitals) 31st December, 1952
*Consultants Senior Hospital Medical Officers and Senior Hospital Dental Officers
Number employed whole-time Total hours worked weekly by part-time consultants Number employed whole-time Total hours worked weekly by part-time S.H.M.Os. and S.H.D.Os.
Newcastle … … … 121 7,248 44 726
Leeds … … … 85 5,827 70 458
Sheffield … … … 104 7,445 77 564
East Anglia … … 47 1,977 23 255
N.W. Metropolitan … 287 13,759 95 2,453
N.E. Metropolitan … 138 8,014 77 1,731
S.E. Metropolitan … 152 10,865 75 1,747
S.W. Metropolitan … 234 13,306 139 2,165
Oxford … … … 46 4,372 41 1,088
South Western … … 72 7,918 55 1,881
Wales … … … 120 4,663 74 879
Birmingham … … 197 8,471 65 1,267
Manchester … … 119 8,521 103 1,331
Liverpool … … … 54 6,717 36 718
Totals … … 1,776 108,703 974 17,263

have gone up; there has been an increase in respect of full-time consultants as well.

Following is the table: