HC Deb 29 October 2001 vol 373 cc551-2W
Tim Loughton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital doctors left the NHS in each of the last four years on grounds of(a) retirement. (b) early retirement, (c) ill health and (d) taking up an alternative post. [7595]

Mr. Hutton

[holding answer 15 October 2001]: Data in the form requested are not available. The number of hospital and community doctors in England and Wales who retired from the national health service in the financial years 1998 to 2001 is in the table. The "Others" category is indeterminate retirements not available from the computer records.

All retirements Early retirements Ill health retirements Others
1998 803 175 127 148
1999 698 136 101 112
2000 625 119 98 96
2001 786 140 116 130
Total 2912 570 442 486

Notes:

1. Early retirements includes retirements on the grounds of ill health, premature retirements following redundancy or in the interests of the efficiency of the service and voluntary early retirements before the scheme's normal retirement age of 60.

2. Ill-health retirements include retirements before and after the scheme's normal retirement age of 60.

3. "Others" relate to retirements where the reason for retirement is not yet established.

4. Hospital doctors include:

Hospital and community doctors

Associate Specialist

Clinical Assistant

Consultant

House Officer

Medical Assistant

Senior House Officer

Medical Officer—all grades

Registrar

Senior Registrar

Medical Specialist

5. The NHS Pensions Agency does not hold data on hospital doctors taking up alternative posts.

Source:

NHS Pensions Agency