§ Mr. HarveyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the number of(a) nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff and (b) members of professions allied to medicine who will qualify and join the NHS in each of the next five years. [109260]
§ Mr. DenhamThe available estimations are shown in the table.
Training courses for nursing, midwifery and the professions allied to medicine are usually of three years in length and we are therefore only able to provide estimates of new qualifiers up to 2002–03 based on entrants to training in 1999–2000.
Health visitor training is in the main one-year post registration. The numbers of newly qualified health visitors up to 1998–99 is provided. Entrants to training in 1998–99 are subject to validation; entrants to training in 1999–2000 are still planned. However, we expect the 70W trend of just under 600 new qualifiers each year to continue. Not all qualifiers necessarily take up employment in the National Health Service.
Estimated number of new qualifiers Nursing and midwifery Professions allied to medicine Health visitors 1997–98 9,416 3,100 583 1998–99 10,184 3,200 593 1999–2000 12,000 3,400 — 2000–01 13,200 3,600 — 2001–02 13,800 3,900 — 2002–03 14,500 4,300 —