§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his reply on 24 January, Official Report, c. 291 how the information derived from the medical fields of recruitment work is being replaced; and what methods will be used to assess the pressure on medical posts in National Health Service hospitals that are being advertised.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergMuch of the information previously derived from the medical fields of recruitment exercise can be estimated from data available from the annual hospital census. We shall also continue to monitor the number of consultant advertisements and to collect information on the previous employment of those 545W appointed as senior registrars and consultants. This should enable us to continue to assess the balance of supply and demand for trained doctors in individual specialties.