§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses were(a) qualified and (b) in training in (i) 1979 and (ii) the last year for which figures are available; what estimate she has made of the number of qualified nurses needed by the National Health Service in 2000; and what plans she has to meet this requirement. [28234]
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§ Mr. SackvilleThe figures for the number of nurses who were qualified and in training in 1979 are not available centrally.
For the number of qualified nurses in 1994, I refer the hon. Member to the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing and Midwifery, which provides the information requested.
The number of nurses in training during the last year for which figures are available is shown in the 1993–94 annual report of the English National Board for Nursing and Midwifery, copies of which are available in the Library.
Estimates for the number of qualified nurses needed by the national health service in 2000 will be calculated from 1996–97 onwards. Action to ensure that the NHS has the number of qualified staff required, including those required to train, is primarily a responsibility for local employers.