§ Mr. George Robertsonasked the Secretary of State for the Social Services if he will state the present establishment of chiropodists in the National Health Service; and how far the present staffing meets these possible establishment levels.
§ Dr. VaughanThe establishment of chiropodists is a mater for individual health authorities, based on their assessment of local needs and resources. Information about local establishments and vacancies is not held centrally but I recognise a need for continuing steady expansion of chiropody services. The latest manpower figures available show that at 30 September 1977 there were 2,435 chiropodists—whole-time equivalents—in the National Health Service in Great Britain.
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§ Mr. George Robertsonasked the Secretary of State for the Social Services if he will state the present capacity of training places for chiropodists in the United Kingdom.
§ Dr. VaughanA maximum annual intake of 281 places is currently available at the nine schools recognised by the chiropodists board of the Council for the Professions Supplementary to Medicine.
§ Mr. Bestasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consider introducing legislation to ensure that chiropody can be practised only by those who are State-registered chiropodists.
§ Dr. VaughanI am not yet convinced that legislation to extend this restriction into the private sector would, in present circumstances, be in the public interest.