§ Mr. JackTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many more consultants, broken down by specialty, will be appointed by 2004, above the number in post in 2000. [13059]
§ Mr. Hutton[holding answer 8 November 2001]: The NHS plan stated there would be 7,500 more consultants in post in 2004 than in 1999. By September 2000, the number of consultants in post had already increased by 1,100 to around 24,300. The national health service is currently drawing up plans by specialty to deliver the rest of the increase, a further 6,400 posts by 2004, which will be targeted towards the key specialties needed to deliver the commitments in the NHS plan. Information for the year to September 2001 will be available in February 2002.
§ Mr. JackTo ask the Secretary of State for Health from which sources extra consultants will come in accordance with targets for 2004 detailed in the NHS Plan. [13060]
§ Mr. Hutton[holding answer 8 November 2001]: Around 6,500 of the 7,500 increase will come from doctors currently working in the national health service,
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