Mr. Anthony Owens:

Each year, approximately 700 non-consultant hospital doctors, NCHDs, enter basic specialist training. The number is whittled down a little such that approximately 500 get into higher specialist training. That is the kind of number with which we are dealing over several years. We will need an additional 600 GPs to cover those who retire as well as 1,600 more GPs to meet demand. We will need more than 2,000 consultants if public health specialists are included. We are facing into a yawning chasm and deficit and we need to address it quite quickly.