§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital pathology laboratories there are in England; how many have unfilled vacancies; and if he will make a statement. [132318]
§ Mr. DenhamStatistics for England are collected centrally from 221 National Health Service trusts which have pathology laboratories and from four other statutory organisations.
The available information on their vacancies is contained in the table:
Department of Health recruitment, retention and vacancies survey vacancies in England; pathology staff at 31 March 1999 Whole time equivalents Total employed Total vacancies1 Three month vacancies2 Pathology staff 20,580 470 150 1 Posts that Trusts were actively trying to fill at 31 March 1999 2 Posts that had been vacant for three months or more at 31 March 1999 Note:
Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
§ Mr. BeggsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many vacancies exist within the National Health Service for persons qualified to carry out medical testing on(a) analytical investigation of blood, (b) tissue sampling, (c) virology, (d) microbiology and (e) immunology histopathology. [132813]
§ Mr. DenhamThe detailed information requested is not available centrally. General information about vacancies in the National Health Service for medical, scientific, therapeutic and technical staff working in the Pathology Group is contained in the Department of Health992W Recruitment, Retention and Vacancies Survey, March 1999. Data are only available for that year. Copies of the survey are available in the Library.
§ Mr. BeggsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of the present salary structure for graduates who will carry out medical tests on behalf of the NHS on recruitment and retention; and if he will make a statement. [132815]
§ Mr. DenhamMedical tests are carried out by a wide range of non-medical graduates employed by the National Health Service in a range of staff groups that include clinical scientists, clinical perfusionists, radiographers, biomedical scientists among others. Many of these staff groups are not separately identified in the 1999 Recruitment and Retention and Vacancies Survey, a copy of which is in the Library.
The National Health Service pay system is in need of modernisation. We are working in partnership with the trades unions and professional organisations to negotiate a new pay system which will offer NHS staff a more attractive career structure and which will enhance recruitment and retention.
§ Mr. BeggsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many trained staff capable of carrying out medical testing within the National Health Service left in each of the last three years. [132814]
§ Mr. DenhamThe information requested is not available centrally. Information about the number of National Health Service trusts reporting retention difficulties for medical, scientific, therapeutic and technical staff working in the Pathology Group, is contained in the Department of Health Recruitment, Retention and Vacancies Survey, March 1999. Data are only available for that year. Copies of the survey are available in the Library.