HC Deb 31 July 1997 vol 299 cc620-1W
Mr. Gibb

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) fully qualified nurses and (b) doctors were employed in the NHS in each year since 1979. [10909]

Mr. Milburn

[holding answer 28 July 1997]: The information requested is in the following table.

align="center">NHS hospital and community health services (HCHS) and General Medical Services (GMS) medical staff and qualified nursing and midwifery staff
England as at 30 September each year
HCHS hospital medical staff1 HCHS community medical staff GMS General Medical Practitioners2 GMS practice nurses HCHS qualified nursing and midwifery staff
Year Headcount WTE Headcount WTE Headcount WTE WTE
1979 39,860 32,130 5,890 2,790 23,060 990 192,0004
1980 40,760 33,200 5,980 2,820 23,670 1,070 212,5004
1981 41,620 33,940 6,040 2,880 24,360 1,240 212,100
1982 42,190 34,500 6,170 2,870 24,840 1,450 219,300
1983 42,760 35,160 6,330 2,910 25,340 1,660 223,310
1984 42,780 35,370 6,160 2,880 25,790 1,920 227,720
1985 43,550 35,970 6,150 2,930 26,190 2,210 234,130
1986 43,990 36,310 6,030 2,920 26,530 2,500 236,770
1987 43,960 36,250 6,300 2,760 27,020 2,770 239,360
1988 45,490 37,600 6,160 2,790 27,420 3,480 241,780
1989 46,970 38,910 6,110 2,770 27,750 4,630 244,610
1990 48,590 40,250 5,900 2,730 27,520 7,740 242,340
1991 49,900 41,430 5,320 2,780 27,890 8,780 243,250
1992 50,380 42,290 4,940 2,600 28,180 9,120 246,570
1993 51,550 43,800 4,710 2,590 28,460 9,600 241,850
1994 52,040 44,660 4,070 2,370 28,740 9,100 238,780
1995 55,350 47,870 3,920 2,300 28,870 9,740 246,8203
1996 5 5 5 5 28,940 9,820 248,0703
Notes:
1 Figures for hospital medical staff include hospital practitioners and clinical assistants who may also be General Medical Practitioners.
2 General Medical Practitioners include: restricted principals, unrestricted principals, trainees and assistants.
3 1995 and 1996 figures for HCHS nursing and midwifery staff are not directly comparable with figures for earlier years because of a change in the way non-medical staff were classified from 1995.
4 Figures for 1979 and 1980 are not comparable with those for later years because of a reduction in nurses standard working hours in 1980–81 from 40 to 37.5 hours per week.
5 Not available.

All figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

WTE indicates whole-time equivalents. WTE figures for GMPs are not available.

Sources:

Department of Health's: annual medical and dental workforce census; annual non-medical workforce census; and bi-annual census of General Medical Practitioners.