§ Mr. Tom Benyonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many employees there were in the National Health Service in May 1979 and at 1 January 1981; and what their total salary bill was at each date.
§ Mr. Patrick JenkinI regret that information is not available in the precise form requested. The latest date for which accurate NHS manpower figures are available is September 1979, although I can provide a rough estimate of NHS staff for September 1980. Expenditure figures on salaries and wages relate to the financial year. The following table sets out the information.
NHS Manpower and Expenditure on Salaries and Wages—England NHS Directly Employed Staff* Total Cost of Wages and Salaries† Mid Financial Year (WTE)‡ (£million) Financial Year 30 September 1978 759,662 3,308 1978–79 30 September 1979 773,350 4,027 1979–80 30 September 1980 (Estimate) 793,000 5,350 1980–81 (Estimate) * These figures include locums, agency nurses and health visitor students but exclude independent contractors. † Expenditure figures on salaries and wages include employers' contributions for superannuation and national insurance. All figures are in prices then prevailing. ‡WTE—whole time equivalent.