HC Deb 05 December 1966 vol 737 cc921-2
27. Mr. Maurice Macmillan

asked the Minister of Health what proportion respectively and excluding consultants, of the physicians and surgeons working in the Hospital Service are citizens of the United Kingdom; and whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT figures showing separately for each regional hospital board the numbers and country of birth of doctors, excluding consultants, both resident and non-resident working in the Hospital Service.

46. Mr. Goodhart

asked the Minister of Health how many doctors now working in British hospitals were born outside the United Kingdom.

Mr. K. Robinson

I am circulating in the OFFICIAL REPORT such figures as are readily available.

Mr. Macmillan

To what extent is the National Health Service relying on doctors other than those born in this country—that is, doctors largely from the Commonwealth?

Mr. Robinson

Taking all the grades from senior registrar downwards, the total number is 4,854 doctors. The percentages vary considerably according to the grade.

Mr. Goodhart

In view of this very large number, what steps has the Minister taken to discover what proportion of the doctors who are immigrants intend to return to their countries of origin in the comparatively near future?

Mr. Robinson

Doctors have been coming here for post-graduate training for very many years. I do not think that the pattern has changed materially between those who stay and those who—and these form by far the larger majorit—return home again when their training is over.

Following are the figures:

1. Information by citizenship is not available; but in the following grades the percentage of doctors born in the United Kingdom and Eire, at 30th September, 1965, was:—

Senior registrars 85 per cent
Registrars 54 per cent
Junior hospital medical officers 59 per cent
Senior house officers 41 per cent
House officers 72 per cent

4,854 doctors in these grades were from other countries.

2. Number of Medical Staff of the grade of Registrar and below in each region in England and Wales at 30th September, 1965, analysed by place of birth:—

Grades of Registrar and below
Region Total Born in United Kingdom and Eire Born Elsewhere
All regions: Total 10,234 5,573 4,661
Newcastle region* 581 262 319
Leeds region* 561 238 323
Sheffield region* 638 264 374
East Anglian region* 265 134 131
London regions† 4,219 2,546 1,673
Oxford region* 383 228 155
South Western region* 519 333 186
Welsh region* 547 250 297
Birmingham region* 838 424 414
Manchester region* 866 381 485
Liverpool region* 553 350 203
Wessex region 264 163 101

Notes:

* Also includes the staff of the regional teaching hospitals.

† Includes all staff of the Metropolitan Hospital Boards and of the London Post-graduate and Undergraduate teaching hospitals.

Staff holding appointments with more than one employing authority are included separately under each authority.