§ Mr. HealdTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many additional community mental health staff(a) have been employed and (b) will be employed in the current financial year [11523]
§ Jacqui Smith[holding answer 31 October 2001]: Community mental health staff are employed by the national health service, local authorities and voluntary and independent sector organisations. Data currently collected by the Department identify community psychiatry nurses. However, medical, therapy and social care staff working in mental health services in the community are not identified separately. Between 1997 and 2000 the number of qualified community psychiatry nurses employed in the NHS increased from 9,740 to 11,080.
It is not possible to say how many community mental health staff will be employed in the current financial year. The work force census is carried out on 30 September each year. Data for 2001 will be published in January 2002.