HL Deb 14 October 1997 vol 582 cc140-3WA
Baroness Cumberlege

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What was the total number of whole-time equivalent hospital and community health services qualified, and general medical services practice nurses for each year since 1970;

What was the number of (a) qualified, (b) unqualified, (c) learners and (d) other whole-time

NHS hospital and community health services (HCHS) and General Medical Services (GMS)
Nursing and midwifery staff Great Britain as at 30 September of each year
whole-time equivalents
HCHS qualified staff HCHS unqualified staff HCHS learners Other HCHS N&M staff All HCHS nursing and midwifery staff of which Bank nurses1 Agency nurses2 GMS practice nurses
1970 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
1971 175,840 73,610 94,200 5 343,640 6 3,000 6
1972 183,390 81,560 99,490 5 364,440 6 3,290 6
1973 185,120 84,250 101,230 5 370,600 6 4,160 6
1974 189,570 90,220 97,850 5 377,630 6 4,990 6
1975 202,460 103,680 97,670 5 403,820 6 4,240 6
1976 213,230 98,820 101,910 5 413,960 6 1,860 6
1977 219,900 99,680 96,120 5 487,700 6 2,480 6
1978 6 6 6 6 6 6 3,780 940
1979 6 6 6 6 6 6 4,230 1,050
19801 253,700 116,280 87,390 5 457,370 6 4,480 1,130
1981 255,510 121,060 97,310 5 473,880 6 4,010 1,310
1982 264,660 119,520 97,100 5 481,280 350 3,160 1,630
1983 270,290 117,080 94,980 6 482,350 2,430 2,480 1,840
1984 275,990 114,300 91,150 5 481,440 3,110 3,830 2,160
1985 282,730 115,950 86,050 6 484,730 3,710 4,200 2,480
1986 287,200 116,400 82,870 5 486,480 4,220 5,590 2,800
1987 290,830 118,550 78,840 5 488,220 4,910 6,330 3,110
1988 293,960 117,390 77,070 5 488,420 5,830 6,470 3,880
1989 297,780 116,310 76,120 5 490,220 5,910 7,420 5,200
1990 295,700 114,390 72,430 3,730 486,250 6,230 7,020 8,780
1991 296,840 114,660 60,260 11,050 482,810 8,540 4,190 9,950
1992 300,120 115,680 44,680 6,630 467,110 10,020 3,480 10,340
1993 295,020 116,830 27,130 6,620 445,610 12,030 5,040 10,910
1994 290,970 117,507 13,580 6,620 336,720 12,900 4,650 10,450
19954 298,910 117,604 5,460 6,270 335,700 14,870 6,210 11,180
19964 299,980 108,954 3,390 4,390 324,340 15,610 6,730 11,330

Notes:

1England only.

2England and Scotland only.

3Figures before 1980 are not directly comparable with those for later years due to a reduction in nurses standard working hours in 1980–81 from 40 to 37.5 hours per week.

4 A new classification for the non-medical workforce was introduced in England in 1995 and in Wales from 1996. Information based on this classification is not directly comparable with earlier years.

Figures for Project 2000 students are excluded from the table.

Figures are rounded to the nearest ten, consequently figures may not equal the sum of components.

5denotes zero.

6denotes not available.

NHS hospital and community health services (HCHS) and General Medical Services (GMS)
Nursing and midwifery staff United Kingdom as at 30 September of each year
whole-time equivalents
HCHS qualified staff HCHS unqualified staff HCHS learners Other HCHS N&M staff All HCHS nursing and midwifery staff
1970 4 4 4 4 3
1971 4 4 4 3 4
1972 4 4 4 3 4
1973 4 4 4 3 4
1974 4 4 4 3 4
1975 4 4 4 3 4
1976 4 4 4 3 4
1977 4 4 4 3 4
1978 4 4 4 3 4
1979 4 4 4 3 4
19801 263,530 4 4 3 4
1981 266,160 124,250 101,860 3 492,270

equivalent hospital and community health services nursing and midwifery staff in each year since 1970;

What was the number of general medical services practice nurses in each year since 1970; and

What was the number of nurses on bank or agency contracts in each year since 1970.

Baroness Jay of Paddington

The information requested is shown in the following tables.

NHS hospital and community health services (HCHS) and General Medical Services (GMS)
Nursing and midwifery staff United Kingdom as at 30 September of each year
whole-time equivalents
HCHS qualified staff HCHS unqualified staff HCHS learners Other HCHS N&M staff All HCHS nursing and midwifery staff
1982 275,850 122,630 101,510 3 499,990
1983 281,830 120,110 99,270 3 501,210
1984 287,830 117,210 95,220 3 500,260
1985 294,850 118,740 89,590 3 503,180
1986 299,440 119,140 86,050 3 504,630
1987 303,050 121,310 81,850 3 506,210
1988 306,460 120,170 79,940 3 506,570
1989 310,280 119,140 78,840 3 508,260
1990 308,150 117,340 75,080 3,730 504,300
1991 309,350 117,850 62,310 11,050 500,560
1992 312,520 118,960 45,830 6,630 483,940
1993 307,240 120,170 27,490 6,620 461,520
1994 303,070 117,507 13,630 6,620 440,830
19952 310,920 117,604 5,500 6,270 440,290
19962 311,790 108,950 3,430 4,390 428,560

Notes:

1Figures before 1980 are not directly comparable with those for later years due to a reduction in nurses standard working hours in 1980–81 from 40 to 37.5 hours per week.

2A new classification for the non-medical workforce was introduced in England in 1995 and in Wales from 1996. Information based on this classification is not directly comparable with earlier years.

Figures for Project 2000 students are excluded from the information provided in the table.

Figures are rounded to the nearest ten, consequently figures may not equal the sum of components.

3denotes zero.

4denotes not available.

5denotes not applicable.