Health: Consultants Lord Rea asked Her Majesty's Government: What was the number of National Health Service hospital consultants in England in each year since 2001; and[HL1597] What assessment they have made of how the number of National Health Service hospital consultants in England compares with numbers of equivalent status in other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Countries[HL1598] The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath) The number of the National Health Service hospital consultants in England in each year since 2001 is shown in the table. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |England at 30 September each year |numbers (headcount)| | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |2001 |2002 |2003 |2004 |2005 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |All Consultants |25,782 |27,070|28,750|30,650|31,993| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Source: The Information Centre for Health and Social Care Medical and Dental Workforce Census| | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- There are no equivalent data from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries to make a valid comparison to the number of hospital consultants in England.