§ Mr. BurnettTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the average number of community nurses in English health authorities in each year since 1979 for which figures are available. [15656]
§ Mr. Milburn[holding answer 12 November 1997]: The information requested is available from 1982 and is shown in the table.
NHS Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS) average number of community health nurses per health authority in England; as at 30 September of each year Whole-time equivalents Community Health nurses Number of Health Authorities Average number of Community Health Nurses Nurses 1982 40,440 191 210 1983 41,230 191 220 1984 41,420 191 220 1985 43,050 191 230 1986 42,560 191 220 1987 42,230 191 220 1988 42,470 192 220 1989 41,410 190 220 1990 44,000 190 230 1991 44,540 184 240 1992 43,910 178 250 1993 43,850 145 300 1994 43,090 117 370 1995 53,260 105 510 1996 56,560 100 570 Notes:
1. Figures are not available before 1982.
2. Figures for 1982 to 1989 are for "primary healthcare" nursing and midwifery staff, including: health visitors, district nurses, school nurses, community midwives and a small number of other "primary healthcare" nursing and midwifery staff. The figures for 1990 to 1994 cover the same staff groups as for 1982 to 1989, but include community psychiatric nurses and community learning difficulties nurses, and exclude community midwives. The figures for 1995 to 1996 are based on new occupation codes and are not, therefore. directly comparable with figures for earlier years although they cover similar groups to those used in 1990 to 1994.
Figures are rounded to the nearest ten.
Source:
Department of Health's annual non-medical workforce census.