HC Deb 04 December 1987 vol 123 cc765-6W
Mr. Goodlad

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many(a) doctors and (b) nurses were employed in (i) the Crewe, (ii) the Chester and (iii) the Halton health districts in each of the last eight years.

Mrs. Currie

[holding answer 3 December 1987]: Such information as is available centrally is shown in the table. I am sorry that I am unable to provide all the information requested.

Figures for doctors and dentists in Crewe, Chester and Halton health authorities, which formed part of the Cheshire area health authority before the NHS reorganisation, are not centrally available prior to 1982.

From 1982 we have figures for all doctors and dentists employed in the district health authorities except for senior registrars and consultants, whose contracts are held by the regional health authority. The district health authority where those staff work cannot be identified centrally. There will therefore be more doctors and dentists working in the Crewe, Chester and Halton health authorities than are accounted for in the table.

Figures for non-medical staff are not available prior to 1982 on a comparable basis with those for later years due to the effects of the 1982 National Health Service reorganisation in the Cheshire area health authority.

NHS directly employed Medical/Dental and Nursing/Midwifery Staff 30 September each year
Whole-time equivalent1
District Health Authority Year Medical and Dental2 Nursing and Midwifery3
Crewe 1982 97 1,679
1983 98 1,724
1984 98 1,759
1985 100 1,813
1986 89 1,794
Chester 1982 106 1,754
1983 104 1,782
1984 113 1,733
1985 111 1,740
1986 109 1,744
Halton 1982 24 460
1983 27 442
1984 24 416
1985 38 568
1986 39 604

Source: DHSS (SR7) Annual Censuses of NHS medical and non-medical manpower.

1 All figures are independently rounded to the nearest whole-time equivalent.

2 Includes permanent paid, honarary and locum staff in hospitals and community health services.

3 Includes agency staff.