§ Mr. AustinTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of (1) the number of doctors practising in the NHS who are overseas trained and (ii) the percentage they constitute of the medical workforce; what estimate he has made of the number who will retire in the next 10 years; and what assessment he has made of the impact this will have on the need for(a) overseas recruitment and (b) increased training places in the United Kingdom; [71803]
(2) what estimate he has made of the (i) number and (ii) percentage of general practitioners in the NHS who are overseas trained; and what estimate he has made of the number who will retire in the next 10 years. [71804]
§ Mr. DenhamThe autumn 1997 headcount of doctors in the National Health Service in England showed that there were 86,960 general practitioners (unrestricted principals) and hospital doctors, of whom 19,070 (22 per cent.) qualified outside the European Economic Area (EEA). Within these figures, there were 27,100 GPs (unrestricted principals), of whom 4,530 (17 per cent.) qualified outside the EEA.
729WIt seems reasonable to assume that most of the doctors who will retire in the next decade will be drawn from the current stock of doctors who are aged 50 or over. The numbers in this category were as follows:
Total Qualified outside the EEA GPs (unrestricted principals) 8,070 3,130 Hospital doctors 11,310 3,570 Totals 19,380 6,700 Notes:
1. Figures quoted are rounded to the nearest 10
2. Totals may not equal sum of components due to rounding
Source:
Department of Health Medical and Dental Workforce Census, 30 September 1997
Department of Health General Medical Statistics, 1 October 1997
Intake to undergraduate medical schools in the United Kingdom has risen steadily in the past decade. The Government have accepted the recommendation of the Medical Workforce Standing Advisory Committee, that the intake should increase further, by nearly 20 per cent. over the next few years. This should mean a steady growth in the supply of UK-trained doctors, well into the next century. None the less, it seems likely that supply will be supplemented by a range of recruitment and retention initiatives, for example, the salaried GPs scheme and further overseas recruitment, where required.