HC Deb 18 March 1988 vol 129 cc714-5W
Mr. Fearn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the number of nurses directly employed by National Health Service hospitals on(a) permanent and (b) temporary contracts, by region, for each year from 1983 to 1987; and what was the number of agency or bank nurses employed by National Health Service hospitals, by region, for each year from 1983 to 1987.

Mr. Newton

[holding answer 11 February 1988]: Information about the number of nurses on permanent and temporary contracts is not collected centrally and information specifically for nurses employed in hospitals is not readily available.

The total number of nursing and midwifery staff employed in each region on 30 September 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1986 and the number of agency and bank staff is given in the table. Similar information for September 1987 is not yet available.

1983 1984 1985 1986
Region Nursing and midwifery staff2 Agency Bank Nursing and midwifery staff2 Agency Bank Nursing and midwifery staff2 Agency Bank Nursing and midwifery staff2 Agency Bank
South East Thames 30,760 480 290 29,980 770 310 29,550 820 410 29,110 860 390
South West Thames 24,530 380 280 23,990 480 390 23,720 520 470 23,210 620 520
Wessex 21,660 40 260 21,880 60 310 22,360 100 290 22,640 120 300
Oxford 16,500 3— 90 16,780 10 200 16,600 40 230 16,600 90 260
South Western 25,820 3— 270 25,840 10 310 26,340 40 340 26,500 40 430
West Midlands 40,750 10 60 40,760 100 140 41,750 100 210 42,060 170 280
Mersey 22,130 20 160 21,640 60 150 21,910 40 200 21,980 80 270
North Western 37,060 — 50 37,170 — 150 37,480 — 170 37,630 20 210
London Post Graduate Special Health Authorities 4,910 250 20 4,580 310 10 4,620 330 20 4,500 370 20
England Total 392,250 2,440 2,430 390,630 3,750 3,110 393,320 4,120 3,710 393,020 5,450 4,220
1 All figures are independantly rounded to the nearest ten (10) whole-time equivalents.
2 Includes qualified nurses and midwives, learners and unqualified staff. Excludes Agency and Bank.
3 Less than five (5) whole-time equivalents.

Source: DHSS (SR7) Annual Census of NHS Non-Medical Manpower.