HC Deb 18 December 1986 vol 107 cc698-9W
Mr. Gerald Bowden

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what were the numbers of doctors, nurses, midwives, dentists, opticians and pharmacists in the borough of Southwark in 1979, 1983 and the latest year for which figures are available.

Mr. Newton

I regret that the information on National Health Service manpower is not available on a local authority basis. The figures shown in the table relate to the Lewisham and North Southwark health authority and Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham family practitioner committee.

It is not possible to go back to 1979 for the health authority figures because of the Health Service reorganisation that took place in 1982, but data for 1983 and 1985 are as follows:

Health Authority Manpower1 1983 1985
Doctors2 470 450
Nurses3 3,490 3,390
Midwives3 160 150
Dentists2 50 80
Opticians
Hospital Pharmacists 50 50
1 all figures rounded to nearest 10 whole-time equivalents.
2 excludes senior registrars with contracts held by Regional Health Authority and occasional sessional staff in Community Health Services.
3 includes agency staff.

Figures are given for staff employed at 30 September 1983 and 30 September 1985.

Family Practitioner Committee Manpower 1979 1983 1985
Doctors 380 393 408
Dentists in General Dental Service 236 267 275
Clinical Dental Staff1 in Community Dental Service 25.9 35.8 24.9
Opticians 280 307 325
Ophthalmic Dispensing Opticians & Ophthalmic Medical Practitioners Retail Pharmacists 160 176 188
1 Whole Time Equivalents.

Some midwives and (increasingly for routine investigation and treatment) nurses are employed directly by

Uprating date 1 2 3 4
Rate of industrial widows' pension £ Rate of standard widows' pension £ Difference between columns 1 and 2 £ Difference expressed at July 1986 prices £
October 1956 2.25 2.00 0.25 2.11
January 1958 2.80 2.50 0.30 2.40
April 1961 3.20 2.875 0.325 2.49
May 1963 3.75 3.375 0.375 2.66
March 1965 4.50 4.00 0.50 3.35
October 1967 5.05 4.50 0.55 3.21
November 1969 5.55 5.00 0.55 3.04
September 1971 6.55 6.00 0.55 2.61
October 1972 7.30 6.75 0.55 2.41
October 1973 8.30 7.75 0.55 2.19
July 1974 10.55 10.00 0.55 1.93
April 1975 12.15 11.60 0.55 1.64
November 1975 13.85 13.30 0.55 1.47
November 1976 15.85 15.30 0.55 1.28
November 1977 18.05 17.50 0.55 1.13
November 1978 20.05 19.50 0.55 1.04
November 1979 23.85 23.30 0.55 0.89
November 1980 27.70 27.15 0.55 0.77
November 1981 30.15 29.60 0.55 0.69
November 1982 33.40 32.85 0.55 0.65
November 1983 34.60 34.05 0.55 0.62
November 1984 36.35 35.80 0.55 0.59
November 1985 38.85 38.30 0.55 0.56
July 1986 39.25 38.70 0.55 0.55