§ Mr. Galleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many chiropodists are trained by the National Health Service each year; what proportion of these are subsequently employed in the National Health Service; and what is the total cost of the National Health Service training in chiropody.
§ Mr. John PattenCurrently some 390 students per year are undergoing a recognised three-year training as state-registered chiropodists at schools in the United Kingdom, most of which are in the further education sector. The greater part of the costs of training are therefore met from education funds.
The great majority of state-registered chiropodists enter the NHS on completion of training. A proportion undertakes private practice either whole-time or part-time, often after a period of full-time NHS employment. Detailed figures are not available.