§ Mr. ThurnhamTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many speech therapists are currently employed by local health authorities;
(2) if he will list (a) the number of speech therapists and (b) the ratio of speech therapists per 100,000 of population in the regional health authorities' planning proposals for each year from 1989 to 1994.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThere were 2,810 speech therapists employed by the national health service in England at 30 September 1989. Details of the ratio of speech therapists per 100,000 of population in the regional health authorities' planning proposals for each year from 1990 to 1994 are not available centrally. The ratio as at 30 September 1989, by English region is shown in the table.
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NHS qualified speech therapists in post and ratio of speech therapists per 100,000 population by regional health authorities at 30 September 1989 Whole-time equivalent1 Region Speech therapist Ratio Northern 180 5.7 Yorkshire 180 4.9 Trent 260 5.6 East Anglia 110 5.5 North West Thames 250 7.2 North East Thames 250 6.7 South East Thames 260 7.0 South West Thames 180 6.0 Wessex 120 4.2
Region Speech therapist Ratio Oxford 150 5.9 South Western 220 6.7 West Midlands 270 5.2 Mersey 130 5.5 North Western 220 5.6 England2 2,810 5.9 Source: Department of Health (SMI3) Annual Census of NHS non-medical manpower.
Notes:
1 All figures are independently rounded to the nearest ten (10) whole-time equivalents. Unrounded figures have been used to calculate the ratios.
2 Includes figures (30 WTE) for London Post-Graduate Special Health Authorities.