HC Deb 04 December 2002 vol 395 c896W
Tim Loughton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the ratio of doctors to people is in England. [83288]

Mr. Hutton

Figures produced by the Department currently show figures for national health service doctors only. We are working with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to determine the most reliable way to present data for all doctors, with a view to providing more representative figures for the international comparisons published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The table shows the ratio of NHS doctors to people in England.

NHS doctors hospital, public health medicine and community health service (HCHS) medical and dental staff and general practitioners in England—at 30 September 2001
Number
All NHS doctors1 100,320
Of which:
All general medical practitioners1,2 31,840
and
HCHS medical and dental staff1,3 68,480
Population1 49,181,340
Doctors per 100,000 population4 204
1 Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
2 All practitioners include GMS unrestricted principals, PMS contracted GPs, restricted principal, assistants, GP registrars, salaried doctors (para 52 SFA), PMS other and GP retainers.
3 Excludes hospital medical hospital practitioners and clinical assistants most of whom are GPs and will have been included already.
4 Calculated using unrounded figures.

Note:

Population data are based on ONS 2001 census estimates.

Sources:

Department of Health medical and dental workforce census.

Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics. Office of National Statistics.