§ 22. Mrs. Ann WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the recruitment and retention of consultants. [151970]
§ Mr. DenhamThe number of consultants in the NHS has increased by 2,940 since 1997. We are committed to further increases as part of the NHS Plan—by 2004 there will be 7,500 more consultants working in the NHS. This will be helped by encouraging flexible careers and, in the short term, increasing international recruitment.