HC Deb 26 October 1987 vol 121 c165W
Mr. Wray

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many new full-time doctors the National Health Service has employed for each year since 1979 to work in hospitals.

Mr. Newton

Information requested is not available centrally in the precise form requested. However, the table sets out numbers of doctors in the pre-registration house officer grade in England. Doctors in this grade are mainly United Kingdom graduates in the course of their first year in medical practice. It is estimated that in addition some 1,200 overseas qualified doctors enter the training grades each year, mainly at senior houe officer and registrar level, for a limited period of postgraduate training.

Numbers of Pre-registration House Officers1 in post at 30 September: England
Year Number
1979 2,610
1980 2,564
1981 2,716
1982 2,710
1983 2,826
1984 2,773
1985 2,838
1986 2,813
1 Includes a small number of overseas-graduated doctors with full or limited registration with the General Medical Council.