§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will give for the latest most convenient stated date the total number of employees in the National Health Service; to what extent there is a shortfall of staff; and to what extent he estimates this is due to the level of wages and conditions of employment.
§ Sir K. JosephIn terms of whole-time equivalents approximately 730,000 including the staffs of the special hospitals but not practitioners under contracts for services. The filling of vacancies is a matter for employing authorities and details are not held centrally. Individual pay agreements reached by the Whitley Councils, on which the employing authorities are represented, take into account identified staffing needs of the Service and other relevant considerations.