§ Mr. BayleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many whole-time equivalent(a) school nurses and (b) school doctors have been employed by the NHS in each NHS region in each of the last seven years. [28454]
§ Mr. Horam[holding answer 15 May 1996]: The information relating to school nurses is shown in the table. School nurses provide health surveillance for children
NHS hospital and community health services qualified nursing and midwifery staff, excluding agency staff, working in the school nursing area of work by regional health authority in England at 30 September each year 1988 to 1994 Whole-time equivalents 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 England1 2 2,510 2,480 2,540 2,460 2,440 2,470 2,350 Northern 190 180 180 170 190 170 150 Yorkshire 180 190 180 170 170 180 180 Trent 270 270 260 260 250 290 280 East Anglia 80 90 90 100 100 100 90 North West Thames 200 210 210 170 140 180 170 North East Thames 200 220 220 200 210 210 210 South East Thames1 140 110 200 200 210 140 100 South West Thames 130 130 120 110 120 130 130 Wessex 130 120 120 110 110 110 100 Oxford 100 110 120 120 110 130 110 South Western 150 120 120 140 120 130 140 West Midlands 300 310 310 300 310 300 300 Mersey 190 180 180 170 160 150 140 North Western 250 230 230 240 250 250 230 Note:
1 Figure for South East Thames, and subsequently to a lesser extent the England totals, should be treated with caution. There was evidence of considerable under recording of the occupation codes used to allocate staff to particular areas of work in the South East Thames region in 1989 and several years prior to this.
2 Figures for 1989 and 1990 do not match those previously published due to minor changes to the definition used for earlier years. Figures in this table have been provided using the same definition in each year.
Figures are rounded to the nearest ten.
Totals may not equal sum of components due to rounding.
Source:
Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census.
§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will urgently commission an inquiry into(a) the number of school nurses, (b) the provision of funds for training of school nurses and (c) the provision of a programme of incentives to encourage recruitment of school nurses. [29548]
§ Mr. HoramThe Health Select Committee is currently taking evidence on school health services in its inquiry into children's health.