Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many nurses were working on NHS wards in (a) May 2010 and (b) September 2017.

NHS Digital publishes workforce statistics and the following table shows the number of full time equivalent (FTE) nurses and health visitors working on National Health Service wards in May 2010 and June 2017.

Data is not available for September 2017; however the latest available data has been provided which is June 2017. Nurses working on NHS wards are defined as acute, elderly and general nurses.

NHS Hospital and Community Health Services: Nurses and health visitors on NHS wards as at 31 May 2010 and 30 June 2017.