§ Mr. McCrindleasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish the latest figures of doctor shortages reported by the regional health authorities with the comparative figures for one year ago and five years ago.
§ Mr. HayhoeStatistics on medical posts without permanent holders are collected centrally only for the consultant and senior registrar grades. The latest available figures are given in the following table.
Consultant and Senior Registrar posts not occupied by permanent holders (England, 30 September) 1980 1984 1985 Consultant posts not occupied by permanent holders 1,106 932 632 of which wholly or partly occupied by locums 247.8 170.6 209.3 not occupied by locums 673.6 682.8 363.8 Senior registrar posts without permanent holders 227 213 148 of which wholly or partly occupied by locums 47.1 65.1 51.9 not occupied by locums 175.1 143.9 92.8 Notes:
1. Posts are given in numbers and locum occupancy in whole-time equivalent.
2. Figures for 1980 and 1984 include planning approvals for new posts not advertised by 30 September. Figures for 1985 exclude such approvals.
383WIn 1984–85, the numbers of consultants in post increased by 283 or 2 per cent. from 13,919 to 14,202.
I am considering carefully reports of difficulties of recruiting for junior medical posts in particular areas and in particular specialties, but the total numbers of doctors in hospitals in England increased from 31,515 in 1978 to 35,859 in 1985, or by 13.8 per cent. The comparable 1984–85 increase was 521 or 1.5 per cent.
§ Mr. McCrindleasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many doctors from European Economic Community countries are now in general practice or in hospitals in the United Kingdom compared to one year ago and five years ago.
§ Mr. HayhoeI regret that information in the form requested is not available. Centrally collected data about hospital doctors classify place of birth (not nationality or country of qualification) by the categories of (i) Great Britain, (ii) Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic and (iii) elsewhere. The latest available figures for the latter two categories are given in the table following.
Table 1: Hospital doctors by place of birth Northern Ireland and Irish Republic Elsewhere 1980 791 10,760 1984 835 10,095 1985 851 10,027 It is generally accepted that doctors born elsewhere are mainly from the New Commonwealth.
Centrally collected information about general medical practitioners does classify place of birth by European Community countries.
Table 2: Unrestricted principals in general practice in England Doctors born in European Community countries other than the UK or the Irish Republic 1980 1984 1985 All places of birth 21,812 23,640 24,035 Born in the EC *50 66 67 *excludes doctors born in Greece which joined the Community on 1 January 1981. Published General Medical Council (GMC) figures give numbers of doctors qualified in other European Community countries granted full registration in the United Kingdom but do not show how many so registered exercised the right to practice in the United Kingdom. These figures are as follows.
Number of doctors qualified in other European Community Countries granted full registration by the GMC Year Number 1977 85 1978 109 1979 124 1980 134 1981 184 1982 264 1983 327 1984 302 1985 332