---

Dept of Health

Answer

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) whole time equivalent posts and (b) vacancies for (i) consultants, (ii) specialist registrars, (iii) senior house officers, (iv) nurses and (v) professions allied to medicines, specialising in pain relief there were in each year since 1997. [126349] Mr. Hutton: Information is not available on the number of posts or vacancies for staff specialising in pain relief. Pain relief is a sub-specialty of anaesthetics. Information on whole-time equivalent staff in post for consultants, registrars and senior house officers in anaesthetics is shown in the table. Information on the number of whole-time equivalent posts in national health service trusts is not collected centrally. Information on vacancies lasting three months or more is collected in the NHS vacancy survey which has been collected in March each year since 1999. Information specifically for the anaesthetics (inc. intensive care) specialty has only been collected since 2000. There is no comparable information on nurses or allied health professionals. Between 1997 and 2002, the number of whole-time equivalent consultants working in anaesthetics (inc. intensive care) have increased by 40 per cent., registrars by 10 per cent., and senior house officers by 14 per cent. Hospital medical staff within the anaesthetics (inc. intensive care) specialty--England at 30 September 2002 Whole time equivalents _________________________________________________________________________________________________. 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Consultant 2,658.7 2,840.4 3,052.7 3,172.9 3,361.4 3,712.2 Registrar Group 1,547.4 1,583.7 1,578.3 1,605.8 1,636.8 1,706.1 Senior House Officer 1,307.4 1,267.7 1,230.5 1,282.8 1,369.2 1,488.7 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Source: Department of Health medical and dental workforce census Department of Health Vacancies Survey--Vacancies in NHS trusts for consultants in anaesthetics (inc. intensive care) three month vacancy rates1,2 and numbers3 for total of each group _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Numbers Rates (percentage) 2001 60 1.7 2002 80 2.2 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. 1 Three month vacancies are vacancies as at 31 March each year which trusts are actively trying to fill, which had lasted for three months or more (whole time equivalents). 2 Three month vacancy rates are three month vacancies expressed as a percentage of three month vacancies plus staff in post from the medical and dental workforce census (whole time equivalent). 3 Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10. Notes: 1. Percentages rounded to one decimal place. 2. England totals include staff from Special Health Authorities. Source: Department of Health Vacancies Survey 2001.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

126349; 409 c652-3W

Session

2002-03

Subjects

Consultants Hospitals Health professions Nurses Staff Pain Vacancies Anaesthetics

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk