§ Mrs. Iris RobinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many radiographers are employed in full-time posts in the NHS in Northern Ireland; how many vacancies exist; and what estimate he has made of how many will be required in total in 2006. [124673]
§ Angela SmithThe information is as follows:
(a) A breakdown of radiographers as at 31 March 2003 by employment status is shown in the following table:
Radiographers as at 31 March 2003 by employment status1 Employment status Headcount WTE2 Full-time 399 399.0 Part-time 159 89.50 Total 558 488.5 1Bank staff who cover for staffing shortfalls and fluctuating workloads in order to maintain service delivery have been removed from these figures.
2 Whole-time equivalent.
(b) As at 30 September 2002 there were Radiography vacancies amounting to a whole-time equivalent of 26.5. Radiography vacancies detailed by trust are given in the following table:
Radiography vacancies detailed by trust as at 30 September 2002 Health and Social Services (HSS) Trust WTE1 Sperrin Lakeland HSS Trust 1.0 United Hospitals Group HSS Trust 4.0 Altnagelvin Group HSS Trust 1.0 Royal Group of Hospitals HSS Trust 1.0 Craigavon Area Hospital Group HSS Trust 6.5 Green Park Healthcare HSS Trust 4.0 Down and Lisburn HSS Trust 6.0 Belfast City Hospital HSS Trust 2.0 Ulster Community and Hospitals Group HSS Trust 1.0 Total 26.5 1Whole-time equivalent
(c) The total required number of Radiographers in 2006 equates to 738 headcount when supply is profiled against the Demand Levels 1 and 2, as identified within the Comprehensive Review of the Radiography Workforce, April 2002.