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Nurse And Doctor-Patient Ratios

Volume 951: debated on Tuesday 13 June 1978

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asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what is the average nurse-patient ratio for all hospitals in England and Wales;(2) what is the average doctor-patient ratio for all hospitals in England and Wales;(3) what is the current nurse-patient ratio in psychiatric hospitals in England and Wales;(4) what is the current doctor-patient ratio in psychiatric hospitals in England and Wales.

The information for England in 1976 is set out below:

Ratios of staff to patients¶
In-patients*Day patients†Out-patients‡
All Hospitals
Doctors§1:11·21:17·41:1,643
Nurses§1:1·11:1·71:159·5
Psychiatric Hospitals║
Doctors§1:26·21:4·51:440·4
Nurses§1:1·71:0·31:29·0
* Based on average daily bed occupation during the year 1976.
† Based on total number of day care attendances during the year 1976.
‡ Based on total out-patient attendances during the year 1976 (new and old patients).
§ Based on whole-time equivalent staff in post at 30th September 1976.
║ Based on provisional figures for staff in post.
¶ Individual patients may have been in more than one category during the year.