§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list, by region, the number of hospital consultant positions currently vacant and the equivalent number for this time in each of the last five years. [10414]
§ Mr. MilburnThe latest available information is shown in the table.
Whole-time equivalent of vacant hospital medical consultant posts by region England at 30 September each year 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 England (Totals) 700 470 540 480 570 690 Northern 70 10 30 30 40 50 Yorkshire 40 20 50 30 40 40 Trent 70 50 80 50 70 50 East Anglian 20 20 20 10 30 20 North-west Thames 20 20 20 30 40 40 North-east Thames 70 70 50 80 50 70 South-east Thames 40 30 10 30 40 50 South-west Thames 70 40 30 30 30 40 Wessex 40 0 10 10 10 20 Oxford 20 20 0 20 10 20 South Western 60 10 40 30 30 40 West Midlands 110 90 110 70 100 100 Mersey 20 20 20 30 40 60 North Western 60 50 60 50 50 80 Special health authorities 20 10 10 0 0 0 Notes:
1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10; 0 indicates a figure less than five.
2. Data for 1996 are not yet available. We expect to have information available in September/October.
3. The census is a snapshot at 30 September each year. Some vacancies will be wholly or partly filled by locums. For others, national health service trusts may find alternative ways to provide the service rather than re-advertising. The numbers give no indication of how long the post has been empty; some of these will be in the process of being filled.
Source:
The medical and dental work force census 30 September 1990 to 1995.