HC Deb 01 February 2001 vol 362 cc266-7W
Mr. Harvey

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many physicians who qualified in each year since 1990 left the profession within five years of qualification; and if he will make a statement. [148088]

Mr. Denham

The information requested is not available centrally. However, the Department does commission occasional studies by the Medical Careers Research Group (MCRG) into the career patterns of newly qualified doctors from particular cohorts. The table shows the MCRG's estimates of the numbers of doctors not practising medicine, and the numbers not practising medicine in the United Kingdom, five years after qualification.

The percentage of graduates not practising medicine after five years has remained quite low for all cohorts, with no clear trends over time. For the 1993 cohort, only 5.2 per cent. were not practising medicine by 1998. The trend in those not practising medicine in the UK after five years also remains stable, but the latest figure is lower than in previous years at 8.8 per cent.

Patterns of retention—five years after qualification
Not practisin medicine after 5 years Not practising medicine in the UK after 5 years
Year of qualification Cohort size Number Percentage Number Percentage
1974 2,344 131 5.6 339 14.5
1977 3,130 184 5.9 395 12.6
1983 3,841 204 5.3 357 9.3
1988 3,731 307 8.2 514 13.8
1993 3,639 188 5.2 322 8.8

Note:

The figures exclude non-respondents who are registered as doctors in the UK

Source:

Medical Careers Research Group