§ Mr. Kirkwoodasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish the number of vacancies of over three months in nursing posts in the National Health Service indicating vacancies by grade and specialty for each of the last three years; and which bodies are responsible for the collection and publication of figures on nursing staff vacancies at national, regional and district level.
§ Mr. NewtonI regret that detailed information of this nature is not collected centrally. It is a matter for individual health authorities to decide how to record information on vacancies and whether to publish it. However, I am aware of the annual survey of a limited sample of health authorities conducted by the regional health authority chairmen for the Review Body for
Proportion of vacancies in specific grades within specific specialties Percentage Acute1 Mental illness2 Mental handicap3 Maternity4 Community5 1984 Health Visitor n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 20.0 District Nurse n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 23.0 Nursing Sister/Charge Nurse II 16.0 10.0 33.0 18.0 10.0 Staff Nurse 43.0 50.0 29.0 664.0 9.0 Enrolled Nurse7 18.0 18.0 30.0 2.0 6.0 Nursing Auxiliaries 14.0 14.0 5.0 8.0 19.0 1985 Health Visitor n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 9.0 District Nurse n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 49.0 Nursing Sister/Charge Nurse II 15.0 9.0 14.0 27.0 6.0 Staff Nurse 52.0 52.0 47.0 660.0 8 Enrolled Nurse7 15.0 26.0 24.0 4.0 18.0 Nursing Auxiliaries 13.0 6.0 1.0 3.0 8.0 1 Relates to posts in general, geriatric and paediatric areas of work. 2 Includes community psychiatric nursing staff posts. 3 Includes community mental handicap nursing staff posts. 4 Relates to nursing and midwifery staff posts in the hospital and community services. 5 Relates to nursing staff posts only. 6 Includes a small number of staff nurse posts. 7 Includes senior enrolled nurse posts. 8 Insignificant. n.a. = not applicable. The percentages have been calculated on unrounded figures and then rounded to the nearest 10 per cent.
The information for 1984 and 1985 is not strictly comparable and therefore it would be inadvisable to attempt any comparisons between the two years information shown.
§ Mr. Simon Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey of 30 January, Official Report column 440, if he will provide for information about the number of nurses leaving National Health Service employment in the current and in future years to be collected centrally; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NewtonWith the implementation of the recommendations of the KOrner steering group on health
314WNursing Staff, Midwives and Health Visitors. This is not a formal statistical survey but is intended to give a broad indication of the scale and incidence of vacancies. The 1984 and 1985 survey results for specific grades and specialties are given in the tables. Information for the 1986 survey is still being validated.
Proportion of vacancies of more than three months at 31 March to funded posts (WTE) Percentage 1984 Acute1 1.8 Mental illness2 3.2 Mental handicap3 4.5 Maternity4 4.1 Community5 1.4 1985 Acute1 2.0 Mental illness2 2.9 Mental handicap3 3.0 Maternity4 3.1 Community5 2.4 1 General, geriatric and paediatric areas of work. 2 Includes community psychiatric nursing staff posts. 3 Includes community mental handicap nursing staff posts. 4 Relates to nursing and midwifery staff posts in the hospital and community services. 5 Relates to nursing staff posts only. services information, information about the number of nurses leaving National Health Service employment and their destination on leaving will be first collected during the year ending 31 March 1988. Arrangements for the processing and publication of this information are still being finalised.