§ Sir David Priceasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what effect he expects the reduction in the number of academic posts in university medical schools to have upon the availability and willingness of academic medical staff to carry out consultancy sessions in the relevant National Health Service hospitals.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeI am reluctant to speculate but I can report a steady rise in the number and whole-time equivalent of honorary consultants in the National Health Service in England and Wales. These are usually academic medical staff. The figures are given in the table. Academic medical staff have an interest in honorary work for the National Health Service, for example, in maintaining their clinical skills as a practical basis for teaching.
Honorary consultants at 30 September: England and Wales Number and whole-time equivalent 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 Number 1,423 1,437 1,475 1,525 1,534 wte 753.9 768.9 794.9 817.6 828.2