asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report the number of qualified state enrolled nurses and of qualified state registered nurses employed by the National Health Service, for each year since 1974.
[pursuant to his reply, 24 February 1987, c. 236]: The table shows all enrolled nurses and registered nurses and midwives working in National Health Service hospitals and in primary health care in England, from September 1974 to September 1985 inclusive (the latest date for which such detail is available).
| Registered Nurses and Midwives, and Enrolled Nurses employed by the National Health Service in Hospitals and in primary health care1 England 1974–1985 | ||
| Whole-time equivalents2 | ||
| Staff in post at 30 September | Registered Nurses and Midwives | Enrolled Nurses |
| 1974 | 113,100 | 42,900 |
| 1975 | 119,500 | 47,300 |
| 1976 | 123,600 | 50,600 |
| 1977 | 126,800 | 53,800 |
| 1978 | 129,500 | 56,500 |
| 1979 | 132,200 | 57,600 |
| 1980 | 135,600 | 60,300 |
| 1981 | 143,200 | 65,700 |
| 1982 | 147,600 | 68,400 |
| 1983 | 149,600 | 69,900 |
| 1984 | 152,500 | 71,100 |
| 1985 | 157,700 | 72,300 |
Source: DHSS Annual Census of NHS non-medical manpower.
1 Excludes staff in administrative and centrally based services. Not adjusted for reduction in nurses' working hours in 1980 from 40 to 37·5 hours per week or for increases in bank holiday entitlements in 1977 and 1978.
2 All figures are independently rounded to the nearest 100 whole-time equivalents.