§ Mr. CoakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) doctors and (b) nurses are employed in the NHS currently; and in each case how many were employed in (i) 1992 and (ii) 1987. [3439]
§ Mr. MilburnThe information requested is given in the tables.
Table A: National Health Service Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS) doctors and General Medical Services (GMS) doctors (headcounts) in England in 1987, 1992 and 19951 1987 1992 1995 HCHS medical staff and GMS General Medical Practitioners2 (Headcount) 69,570 75,740 181,000 11995 is the latest year for which figures are available. 2Figures exclude hospital practitioners and clinical assistants to avoid double counting as most hospital practitioners and clinical assistants also work as general practitioners.
Table B: NHS HCHS nursing and midwifery staff and GMS practice nurses in England in 1987, 1992 and 19961 1987 1992 1996 HCHS nursing and midwifery staff and GMS practice nurses2 (Whole-time equivalents) 336,110 353,170 3342,480 Not included in the above: HCHS Learners4 64,560 34,740 2,670 Project 2000 students4 Not applicable 18,300 34,000 Notes:
11996 is the latest year for which figures are available.
2Excludes agency staff.
3The figure for 1996 is not directly comparable with figures for earlier years because of the introduction of a new system of classifying staff in 1995.
4Learners are nurses on traditional nurse training courses, and are directly employed by the NHS HCHS. Project 2000 training was introduced in 1989 and has gradually replaced traditional pre-registration nurse training. Project 2000 students are funded by bursaries, they are supernumary not employees, and are thus 294W excluded from the count of NHS HCHS nursing staff. Figures for project 2000 students are headcounts and should not be added to other nursing figures in the table which are whole-time equivalents.
1. Figures are rounded to the nearest ten.
2. HCHS figures are as at 30 September each year.
3. GMS figures are as at 1 October each year.
Source:
Department of Health's annual medical and dental and non-medical workforce censuses and bi-annual General Medical Services census.