HC Deb 14 February 1966 vol 724 cc907-8
17. Mr. Goodhew

asked the Minister of Health what action he is taking to stimulate recruiting of doctors for the National Health Service.

Mr. K. Robinson

There is no shortage of suitable applicants for places at medical schools. As regards expansion of medical schools I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Fife, West (Mr. William Hamilton) on 26th January.

Mr. Goodhew

Is the Minister aware that the National Plan looks forward to no improvement in the situation during the next five years? Is the right hon. Gentleman also aware that the information which he gave me in answer to a Question last week displays that there is an increasingly deteriorating position in the National Health Service, and what is he doing to put it right?

Mr. Robinson

I think that the hon. Gentleman is slightly confused. His reference to the National Plan was in the context of general practice, when we said—and this is a realistic estimate—that we could not see any substantial increase in the number of general practitioners over the plan period; but in my reply to the Question to which I referred I announced that work would start in 1966–67 and the following year to increase the entry of students by 250, and this would bring the annual entry to more than 2,500; and that is what we are doing about it.