HC Deb 17 February 1984 vol 54 c356W
Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what has been the rate of consultant expansion since 1981; and how many consultant posts are currently unfilled;

(2) what was the rate of consultant expansion in 1982–83.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

The increase in the number of consultants in medical and dental specialties in the National Health Service in England (excluding the special hospitals) was 273 or 2.17 per cent. in the year to 30 September 1981, and 207 (1.61 per cent.) and 287 (2.19 per cent.) in the two subsequent years. At 30 September 1983 there were 964 consultant posts in England (including the special hospitals) without a permanent holder, of which 345 were partially or fully occupied by locums.

Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many unfilled consultant posts are frozen.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

Information is not held centrally on the number of consultant posts which employing authorities have decided to leave unfilled for the foreseeable future. However, at 30 September 1983 some 624 consultant posts in medical and dental specialties in England had not been advertised in the previous 12 months. Many of these posts will, for a variety of reasons, never previously have been filled and are not frozen in the usual sense of the word. The arrangements for approving and filling medical manpower in the NHS has always meant that, at any given time, there are unfilled posts of this kind up and down the country.

Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what survey he has carried out within the regions to ascertain how many consultant posts will not be filled because of lack of resources; and if he will list these posts region by region.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

I have not carried out such a survey, nor do I propose to. There are many reasons, not all connected with resource constraints why health authorities are unable to fill new consultant posts as quickly as they would like, or why posts previously filled are left unoccupied. Past experience shows that the attempt to distinguish between them is a fruitless exercise.

On the question of resources, health authorities have about the same spending power in 1983–84 as last year and as my right hon. Friend announced on 9 January, resources will grow by a further 1 per cent. in real terms next year. These figures do not take account of the real improvements in services financed through improved efficiency.