§ Mr. Robin CookTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the number of nurses adjusted for changes in the length of the working week employed by the NHS in each year since 1974.
§ Mrs. Virginia Bottomley[holding answer 28 January 1991]: The information is provided in the table. Column 1 shows the actual number of staff in wholetime equivalents for the period 1974 to 1989. Column 2 shows the estimated number of staff (WTE), based on a 37.5 hour week, during the period 1974 to 1980.
NHS nursing and midwifery staff (including agency staff) at 30 September 1974 to 1989 (wholetime equivalents3) Year Actual Adjusted1 21974 314,100 335,000 1975 336,600 359,000 1976 341,700 364,500 1977 343,200 366,100 1978 351,000 374,400 1979 358,400 4382,300 1980 370,100 4394,800 1981 4391,800 — 1982 397,100 — 1983 397,100 — 1984 397,500 — 1985 401,200 — 1986 402,700 — 1987 404,000 — 1988 403,900 — 1989 405,300 — Source: Department of Health (SM13) Annual Census of NHS Non-Medical Manpower. 1 Figures adjusted to the standard weekly hours operative from 1980–81 (37.5 hours). 2 Comparability affected by the 1974 NHS re-organisation. 3 All figures have been independently rounded to the nearest 100. 4 There is a discontinuity in the time series during the period 1979 to 1981, as a consequence of the reduction in standard weekly hours at that time. The size of the discontinuity is unknown; and the figures should therefore be interpreted with caution.