§ Mr. HammondTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if the targets in the NHS Plan for additional doctors and nurses relate to additional whole-time equivalent doctors and nurses; [155399]
(2) if he will place in the Library on the first anniversary of the publication of the NHS Plan and on each subsequent anniversary, figures indicating the Government's progress towards achieving the NHS Plan targets for additional (a) doctors and (b) nurses, expressed as whole-time equivalents; [155406]
(3) by what specific date the NHS Plan targets for extra doctors and nurses are to be achieved. [155400]
§ Mr. DenhamThe targets for doctors and nurses in the NHS Plan are all expressed in headcount as was made plain at the time of publication. We will provide 7,500 more consultants, 2,000 more general practitioners and 20,000 more nurses by 2004.
The Department's annual workforce censuses collect headcount and whole time equivalent figures as at 30 September each year and are routinely published and placed in the library.