§ Mr. Ieuan Wyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those area health authorities in Wales which have reported a shortage of qualified pharmaceutical staff.
§ Mr. GristThere have been reports of difficulties in the recruitment of qualified hospital pharmaceutical staff in a number of health authorities in Wales. The latest information held by the Department on the level of vacancies in health authorities in Wales relates to the position as at 31 December 1987 and is as follows:
District Health Authority Whole time equivalent vacancies for qualified pharmacists1 Clwyd 6.5 East Dyfed 2.0 Gwent 7.0 Gwynedd 0.3 Mid Glamorgan 5.0 Pembrokeshire 0.0 Powys 0.0 South Glamorgan 8.0 West Glamorgan 5.0 1 Difference between funded establishment and staff in post. Includes pre-registration graduates. Hospital pharmacy manpower has been the subject of a recent joint review by the manpower steering group established by the Department and the Welsh pharmaceutical committee. The report of that review has made a number of recommendations for action to mitigate the effects of recruitment difficulties and shortages among hospital pharmacy staff and to improve pharmacy services within the NHS in Wales. The report will shortly be issued with a view to early implementation of its recommendations as appropriate and I shall place a copy in the Library of the House.