HC Deb 22 October 2002 vol 391 cc266-7W
Mr. Steen

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of NHS consultants, doctors and nurses who will be employed from(a) the EU and (b) outside the EU over the next five years. [74932]

Mr. Hutton

[holding answer 21 October 2002]: The following table shows the number of doctors, general practitioners (GPs) and consultants who qualified in the United Kingdom, within the rest of the European Economic Area and elsewhere.

We anticipate that by 2005, compared to 1999, up to 35,000 extra nurses may be working in the NHS, who have been trained overseas.

Tim Loughton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors from abroad started work in the NHS in the last year; and how many of them have subsequently ceased working. [75516]

Mr. Hutton

[holding answer 21 October 2002]: Information on the number of doctors from abroad who join and leave the National Health Service is not available.