The Department does not hold the numbers of neurosurgeons who qualified each year because the annual national health service workforce census does not separately identify the number of consultants specialising in neurosurgery who qualify each year.
The number of consultants specialising in neurosurgery employed in the NHS in each year from 1996 to 2006 is shown in the following table.
Numbers All staff, of which: Consultants Doctors in training and equivalents 1996 367 124 236 1997 358 127 218 1998 371 130 231 1999 368 136 222 2000 407 139 252 2001 427 152 252 2002 466 161 280 2003 491 168 311 2004 534 180 345 2005 561 190 352 2006 553 187 358 Source: The Information Centre for health and social care Medical and Dental Workforce Census.