§ Mr. LyonsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the level is of nurse understaffing in England's acute trusts. [87767]
§ Mr. HuttonLevels of staffing are a matter for individual trusts. The three month vacancy rate is an indicator of the number of posts in their establishment which trusts are finding difficult to fill.
Information on the level of three month vacancies in acute trusts in England will be placed in the Library.
Between March 2001 and 2002 the three month vacancy rate for qualified nurses fell from 3.4 per cent., to 3.1 per cent. This is the second successive fall for nurse vacancies and shows that our recruitment and retention policies are bearing fruit.