§ Mr. Irvingasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report the numbers employed under each category of staff in the National Health Service in (a) 1974, (b) 1979 and (c) 1983 and at the latest date for which figures are available.
§ Mr. HayhoeThe information requested is given in the table. Statistics on non-medical manpower are collected for 31 March, 30 June, 30 September and 31 December each year, but statistics on medical and dental manpower are collected only for 31 March and 30 September. The latest date for which figures are available is 31 March 1985 for all staff and 30 June 1985 for non-medical staff.
Tables showing the latest staffing figures are regularly placed in the Library, as each quarter's figures become available.
69W
Staff group September 1974† September 1979 September 1983 March 1985 June 1985 Ambulance (including officers) 16,600 17,100 18,400 18,200 18,200 Ancillary 163,400 171,900 •166,200 •146,500 143,400 Total 674,200 773,300 827,400 816,100 N/A Notes:
* Figures are independently rounded to the nearest 100, and therefore the sum of the component figures may not equal the total shown.
† During the period immediately following the NHS reorganisation on 1 April 1974, the new health authorities faced exceptional difficulties in providing up-to-date information on numbers and types of staff. The accuracy of the September 1974 figures is therefore open to question.
‡ Excludes hospital practitioners and paragraph 94/107 appointments (clinical assistants). Includes locums.
║ Includes agency nurses and midwives.
¶ Part of the increase between 1979 and 1983 is due to a reduction in the contractual hours of nurses in 1980 from 40 to 37½ hours per week.
• Part of the change between September 1983 and March 1985 is due to the transferring of Operating Department Assistants from the Ancillary. to the Professional and Technical 'B' staff group on 1 April 1984.