§ 34. Mr. Knoxasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many nurses and midwives were employed in the National Health Service at the most recent count; and what was the comparable figure in 1978.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe provisional total number of nursing and midwifery staff—including learners and112W unqualified staff but excluding agency staff—in the NHS in England at 30 September 1984 was 393,800 in whole-time equivalent terms compared with 347,500 at 30 September 1978.
The figures are not strictly comparable due to the change in the working week during the period from 40 hours in 1978 to 37½ hours by 1981.