27. Mr. R. C. Mitchellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services on how many occasions in the last 12 months final year medical students have been employed as locum doctors in the Oxfordshire area health authority.
§ Dr. VaughanMedical students cannot be employed as locum tenens medical practitioners. However, they can provide valuable assistance to a doctor who is covering for an absent practitioner. Medical students have acted in this way in Oxfordshire area health authority (teaching) as follows during the last 12 months:
Separate occasions Days covered Number of pre-registration house officers covered Surgery 59 517 15 Medicine 51 480 17