HC Deb 08 November 1983 vol 48 cc97-8W
Mr. Carter-Jones

asked the Secrelary of State for Scotland if he will give the number of (a) sisters, (b) staff nurses, (c) nurses, and (d) any other nursing staff per 1,000 patients in Scotland in 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 and the proportion at the latest available date.

Mr. John MacKay

Taking "patients" to comprise inpatient discharges, deaths and day cases, the whole-time equivalent numbers of staff per 1,000 patients were as follows:

1979 1980 1981 1982
Sisters 7.4 7.2 7.2 7.3
Staff Nurses 8.3 8.4 9.0 9.7
Enrolled Nurses 9.8 9.7 10.2 10.6
Nurses in training 15.0 14.8 14.9 14.0
Unqualified Nursing Staff 21.5 21.3 21.1 21.0

Notes:

(a) Figures are based on the whole-time equivalent of hospital nursing staff at 30 September, except that figures for 1982 relate to 31 March.

(b) Inpatient discharges, deaths and day cases are for the 12 months ended 30 September, except that figures for 1982 are based on 31 March data. Accident and emergency, casualty and outpatients are excluded.

(c) The reduction in the working week from 40 to 37½ hours is taken into account in the figures from 1980 onwards.

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