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Mr. Robin Cook
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the number of doctors employed by the national health service in each year since 1974.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
The information requested is given in the following table.
| National health service doctors in England | |
| Year | All staff |
| 1974 | 49,107 |
| 1975 | 55,629 |
| 1976 | 57,167 |
| 1977 | 58,502 |
| 1978 | 60,001 |
| 1979 | 61,554 |
| 1980 | 63,130 |
| 1981 | 64,612 |
| 1982 | 65,991 |
| 1983 | 66,910 |
| 1984 | 67,282 |
| 1985 | 68,194 |
| 1986 | 68,839 |
| 1987 | 69,532 |
| 1988 | 70,995 |
| 1989 | 72,446 |
Notes to the table:
Figures relate to hospital and community health service medical staff holding permanent paid and honorary appointments as at 30 September each year and general medical practitioners as at 1 October each year.
Prior to 1975 comparable community health service medical staff figures are not available and are therefore not included. With the national health service reorganisation on 1 April 1974 the responsibility of this service was transferred from local authorities and the DES to the national health service.