Written question asked by Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 2 February 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 4 February 2010. It was answered by Ann Keen (Labour) on Tuesday, 9 February 2010 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Health Visitors: East Sussex

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health visitors have been employed in the Sussex Downs and Weald Primary Care Trust area in each year since 1997.

Answer

The information is shown in the following table:

National health service hospital and community health services: Health visitors in the East Sussex Downs and Weald primary care trust (PCT), as at 30 September each year
	Headcount
2002	91
2003	84
2004	75
2005	81
2006	42
2007	72
2008	70
Notes: 1. East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT was formed in October 2006 from a complete merger of Eastbourne Downs PCT and Sussex Downs and Weald PCT. Figures for 2002-06 are an aggregate of these predecessor organisations. 2. It is impossible to map PCT staff figures prior to the formation of the PCTs. 3. Data for 2009 will be released in March 2010. 4. It appears that figures supplied by Eastbourne Downs PCT failed to include around 30 health visitors for 2006. 5. Data Quality Work force statistics are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and PCTs in England. The Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data. Processing methods and procedures are continually being updated to improve data quality. Where this happens any impact on figures already published will be assessed but unless this is significant at national level they will not be changed. Where there is impact only at detailed or local level this will be footnoted in relevant analyses. Source: The Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce census.

Secondary information