§ Mr. HammondTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many additional non-surgical cancer consultants are in post in the NHS in England; and how many were in post on the date of publication of the NHS Plan; [155408]
(2) what the growth rate was in numbers of NHS consultants in England between (a) 1994 and 1997 and (b) 1997 and 1999, expressed as an annualised percentage rate; [155403]
(3) if all cancer consultants appointed up to 2006 in the NHS, if trained in the United Kingdom, will have been in training before 1 May 1997; [155401]
(4) what the percentage increase is in NHS consultants in England, expressed as an annualised percentage rate (a) between 1994 and 1997 and (b) between 1997 and the projected figure according to the targets set out in the NHS Plan for 2006; [155402]
(5) what analysis his Department has made of trends in the rate of growth in consultant numbers in the period (a) 1997 to 2000 and (b) 1994 to 1997; [155404]
(6) which Minister took the decision to include the figure of nearly 1,000 as the target for growth in numbers of non-surgical cancer consultants by 2006; [155407]
(7) pursuant to his oral statement of 13 March 2001, Official Report, column 805, by what date the target of nearly 1,000 additional non-surgical cancer consultants by 2006 included in the NHS Plan will be met; and what advice he received from Professor Mike Richards on the prospects for meeting the target. [155396]
§ Mr. DenhamThe NHS Cancer Plan was drawn up through extensive consultation with professionals and patients across the country, led by the National Cancer756W Director, Professor Mike Richards. It states that the increases of 971 in the number of non-surgical cancer consultants will be achieved by 2006.
The typical training period for these specialties is three to six years, so of those appointed through higher specialist training in the United Kingdom, virtually all will have entered higher specialist training after 1997.
Consultant numbers increased by 4.2 per cent. per year between 1997 and 1999, and will increase by 7.2 per cent. per year over the NHS Plan period. Direct comparison with the period 1994 to 1997 would be misleading, because the method of data collection changed in 1995 when data were collected directly from National Health Service trusts for the first time.
The number of non-surgical cancer consultants in posts in the NHS in England was 3,528 (at 30 September 2000) and the number in post on 30 September 1999 was 3,3621. This is an increase of 170.
The NHS Cancer Plan states that there will be an increase of nearly 1,000 in the number of non-surgical cancer consultants by 2006.
1 Source: Medical and Dental Workforce Census