Written question asked by Tim Loughton (Conservative) on Tuesday, 14 September 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 11 October 2004. It was answered by Lord Hutton of Furness (Labour) on Monday, 11 October 2004 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Dept of Health

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) psychiatrists and (b) community psychiatric nurses were (i) recruited to and (ii) left the NHS in each of the last three years. - Including table.

Answer: Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) psychiatrists and (b) community psychiatric nurses were (i) recruited to and (ii) left the NHS in each of the last three years. [189418] Mr. Hutton: Workforce data is collected through the annual non-medical workforce census. The census is a snapshot of data on a specific day in the appropriate year. The information shown in the table shows the net difference each year in the number of consultants within the psychiatry group and the number of qualified nurses working in community psychiatry between September 2000 and September 2003. Data on numbers of leavers and joiners in the national health service is not available. Hospital, public health medicine and community health services and NHS hospital and community health services: consultants within the psychiatry group and qualified community psychiatric nurses in England Headcount _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Psychiatrist Qualified community psychiatric nurses 2000 2,904 11,080 2001 2,959 12,224 Difference 2000-01 55 1,144 2002 2,979 12,292 Difference 2001-02 20 68 2003 3,229 13,173 Difference 2002-03 250 881 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Source: Department of Health medical and dental workforce census Department of Health non-medical workforce census

Secondary information