§ Mr. Gordon BrownTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the number, and cost at current and at 1987 prices to the National Health Service, of agency nurses employed for each year since 1979.
§ Mr. Newton[holding answer 14 December 1987]: The information requested is given in the table.
Expenditure1 on Non-NHS Staff (Agency, Etc.)—Nursing Agency Nursing and Midwifery Staff (whole-time equivalent) as at 30 September Per annual accounts £000 At 1986–87 prices £000 1979 4,020 1979–80 30,348 50,517 1980 4,220 1980–81 44,199 62,060 1981 3,760 1981–82 43,288 55,357 1982 3,040 1982–83 34,525 41,185 1983 2,440 1983–84 30,614 34,912 1984 3,750 1984–85 40,157 43,863 1985 4,120 1985–86 51,297 52,841 1986 5,450 1986–87 70,788 70,788 1 Source: Annual accounts of regional and district health authorities and those of the special health authorities for the London postgraduate teaching hospitals. (Annual accounts of their predecessor authorities for the years prior to 1982–83). Note: The figures for the earlier years have been expressed at 1986–87 prices by the use of the Gross Domestic Product deflator. 22 Figures are whole time equivalent rounded to the nearest ten.