§ Lord Wigoderasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many (i) State Registered and (ii) State Enrolled nurses are (a) currently engaged in the practice of their profession and (b) not so engaged (either permanently or temporarily) and whether they will give such information both as it relates to the United Kingdom as a whole, and to each of the four countries comprised therein.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Security (Lord Trefgarne)Information as to the total number of State Registered and State Enrolled nurses currently engaged in the practice of their profession is not available to the department. The latest detailed information of the number of qualified nursing and midwifery staff employed in the NHS is set out in the table below.
947WA
Number of Qualified nursing and midwifery staff(1)(2) employed in the National Health Service—30th September 1980 England 233,046 Wales 15,786 Scotland 32,760 Northern Ireland(3) 11,942 United Kingdom 293,534 (1)Excluding agency staff, and those undertaking a post-registration and post enrolment training; (2)Includes some midwives who are not additionally registered or enrolled nurses; (3)At 31st December 1980. The only information available as to the number of such nurses who are not currently engaged in the practice of their profession is of the number of qualified nursing and midwifery staff who are registered unemployed. The latest figures supplied by the Department of Employment are set out in the table below.
Number of qualified nursing and midwifery staff registered as unemployed—March 1982 England 5,977 Wales 582 Scotland 954 Northern Ireland 528 United Kingdom 8,041
§ Lord Wigoderasked Her Majesty's Government:
What was the total number of State Registered and State Enrolled nurses who qualified in the year ending 31st December 1976, what is their best estimate of the proportion of those who so qualified who are still engaged in the practice of their profession.
§ Lord TrefgarneFigures supplied by the General Nursing Council for England and Wales show that during the year ending 31st March 1977 (the nearest available date) there were 17,274 additions to all parts of the register and 9,630 to the roll. Information on which an estimate could be made of the proportion of those nurses who are still engaged in the practice of their profession is not available centrally.
§ Lord Wigoderasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their best estimate of the total number of State Registered and State Enrolled nurses who for any reason ceased to practise their profession in the last year for which it is possible to estimate such figures.
§ Lord TrefgarneInformation on which an estimate could be made of the number of State Registered Nurses and State Enrolled Nurses who cease to practise their profession in any given year is not available centrally.