HC Deb 07 July 1982 vol 27 cc146-7W
Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many consultant rheumatologists are working in each region full-time and part-time under the National Health Service; and how many patients this represents per consultant in each region.

Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg

Information is not available in the form requested as rheumatology and rehabilitation are currently classified as a single specialty in the statistics collected by the Department. At 30 September 1981 the total number of consultants in England with a major commitment to this specialty was 213; the attached table shows the numbers and whole-time equivalents and the population per whole-time equivalent in each English region; the figures underestimate the total time devoted to the specialty as information on consultants whose major commitment is to another specialty but who also work in rheumatology and rehabilitation are not available.

Consultants by region and nature of contract showing number and whole-time equivalent England
Region Whole-time Part-time (including maximum part-time and honoraries) Total whole-time equivalents Home population per whole-time equivalent consultant
No. No. No. (000s)
Northern RHA 10 4 13.5 228.3
Yorkshire RHA 1 6 5.1 702.2
Trent RHA 11 5 14.1 323.1
East Anglia RHA 2 9 10.5 179.1
NW Thames RHA 8 22 21.9 156.5
NE Thames RHA 12 22 27.3 135.3
SE Thames RHA 11 14 24.2 146.7
SW Thames RHA 5 13 16.1 177.5
Wessex RHA 13 8 20.0 135.1
Oxford RHA 9 7 14.6 1580
South Western RHA 2 4 3.6 895.6
West Midlands RHA 3 2 4.4 1,171.4
Mersey RHA 2 2 4.0 612.1
North Western RHA 11 9 16.7 239.7
London Postgraduate Teaching Hospitals 2 4 2.3 —

Note 1: Mid 1980 estimates.

Note 2: Columns 2 and 3 show respectively the number of consultants holding whole-time or part-time contracts within individual regions. Some hold contracts in more than one region and are recorded in each. The totals, therefore, exceed the total number of consultants in the specialty.