HC Deb 09 November 1945 vol 415 cc1714-5W
Major Symonds

asked the Minister of Health how many doctors of British nationality are at present engaged in civilian practice in England and Wales, and what is the average number of patients per doctor; how many temporarily registered alien doctors are now working in England and Wales; what are their nationalities, and what is their average age; how many temporarily registered alien doctors have returned to their countries of origin; and how many are likely to do so in the near future.

Mr. Bevan

The last analysis, made by the Central Medical War Committee in February, relates to all doctors on the permanent Medical Register without distinction according to nationality, and shows that the number of doctors in civilian practice of all kinds in England and Wales was 27,177, or in general practice only 14,337, representing a ratio to civilian population of one to 1,393 and one to 2,640 respectively. The number of temporarily registered alien doctors in employment, including a few in Scotland, is 798. Nearly half of these are of German or Austrian nationality and the next largest groups are Czechs and Poles. I am unable to give the average age, but 525 out of the total are over 40. I will send my hon. Friend details of the nationalities and age-groups. I regret that I have not the information asked for in the fourth and last parts of the Question.