HC Deb 22 July 2002 vol 389 cc868-71W
Dr. Evan Harris

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the vacancy rate was for consultant psychiatrists in(a) England and (b) each region in each of the last six years. [67710]

Mr. Hutton

The number of consultants in post in the psychiatry group has increased from 2,808 in September 1999 to 3,030 in March 2002. This is an increase of 8 per cent.

The national health service vacancy survey has only been conducted in March each year since 1999. The survey collects information on the number of posts which trusts are actively trying to fill which have been vacant for three months or more.

There are six specialities within the psychiatry group. In 2001, the vacancy survey focused on specialties that were considered particularly problematic. For this reason, only four of the six specialties were collected.

Increased vacancies are to be expected at a time when we are trying to dramatically increase the size of the workforce. New investment enables NHS trusts to create new posts; however, there can be a delay in providing sufficient staff for all the posts.

Available information is shown in the tables.

Department of Health Vacancies Survey, March 1999 Vacancies in NHS trusts by region, psychiatry group, 3 month vacancy rates1,2 and numbers3
Psychiatry group (consultant)
3 month vacancy rates (percentage) 3 month vacancies Staff in post (wte) Staff in post (hc)
England 6.7 170 2,360 2,630
Northern and Yorkshire 7.3 20 290 320
Trent 4.0 10 230 250
West Midlands 9.0 20 220 240
North West 10.5 30 280 310
Eastern 4.4 10 210 230
London 5.5 30 510 600
South East 6.2 20 370 420
South West 7.5 20 200 230
Special HAs 0.0 0 40 50
1 Three month vacancies are vacancies as at 31 March 1999 which trusts are actively trying to fill, which had lasted for three months or more (whole time equivalents).
2 Three month vacancy rates are three month vacancies expressed as a percentage of three month vacancies plus staff in post from the September 1998 medical and dental census (whole time equivalent).
3 Vacancy and staff in post numbers are rounded to the nearest 10.

Notes:

1. Percentages are rounded to one decimal place.

2. Totals may not equal sum of component parts due to rounding.

3. Due to rounding, calculating the vacancy rates using the above data may not equal the actual vacancy rates.

4. Figures may not match previously published data due to a different method of rounding used on the staff in post data.

Source:

Department of Health Vacancies Survey 1999.

Department of Health Medical and Dental Workforce Census 1998.

Department of Health Vacancies Survey, March 2000 Vacancies in NHS trusts by region, psychiatry group, 3 month vacancy rates1,2 and numbers3
Psychiatry group (consultant)
3 month vacancy rates (percentage) 3 month vacancies Staff in post (wte) Staff in post (hc)
England 6.9 190 2,520 2,810
Northern and Yorkshire 7.7 30 310 340
Trent 5.0 10 240 260
West Midlands 11.4 30 240 260
North West 7.9 30 290 330
Eastern 6.0 10 210 240
London 7.4 40 550 640
South East 4.7 20 400 460
South West 2.2 10 220 250
Special HAs 15.6 10 50 50
1 Three month vacancies are vacancies as at 31 March 2000 which trusts are actively trying to fill, which had lasted for three months or more (whole time equivalents).
2 Three month vacancy rates are three month vacancies expressed as a percentage of three months vacancies plus staff in post from the September 1999 medical and dental workforce census (whole time equivalent).
3 Vacancy and staff in post number are rounded to the nearest 10.

Notes:

1. Percentages are rounded to one decimal place.

2. Totals may not equal sum of component parts due to rounding.

3. Due to rounding, calculating the vacancy rates using the above data may not equal the actual vacancy rates.

4. Figures may not match previously published data due to a different method of rounding used on the staff in post data.

Source:

Department of Health Vacancies Survey 2000.

Department of Health Medical and Dental Workforce Census 1999.

Department of Health Vacancies Survey, March 2001 Vacancies in NHS trusts by region, consultants in the specified areas of work, 3 month vacancy rates1,2 and numbers3
3 month vacancy rates (percentage) 3 month vacancies Staff in post (wte) Staff in post (hc)
Forensic psychiatry (consultants)
England 5.2 10 150 160
Northern and Yorkshire 0.0 0 10 10
Trent 0.0 0 10 10
West Midlands 0.0 0 10 10
North West 18.2 0 10 10
Eastern 0.0 0 10 10
London 8.5 0 40 50
South East 7.7 0 10 20
South West 4 4 4 4
Special HAs 2.7 0 40 40
General psychiatry (consultants)
England 7.8 130 1,490 1,650
Northern and Yorkshire 8.2 20 170 180
Trent 4.0 10 140 160
West Midlands 11.0 20 130 140
North West 12.2 30 180 190
Eastern 5.8 10 110 120
London 7.5 30 380 430
South East 10.2 30 230 260
South West 1.3 0 150 170
Special HAs 4 4 4 4
Darning disabilities (consultants)
England 13.3 30 170 180
Northern and Yorkshire 13.5 10 30 30
Trent 26.3 10 10 20
West Midlands 8.3 0 20 20
North West 21.7 10 20 20
Eastern 10.3 0 30 30
London 12.2 0 20 20
South East 11.1 0 20 30
South West 6.7 0 10 10
Special HAs 4 4 4 4
Old age psychiatry (consultants)
England 9.3 30 310 330
Northern and Yorkshire 10.0 10 60 60
Trent 11.4 0 30 30
West Midlands 7.9 0 30 40
North West 14.6 10 40 40
Eastern 16.1 10 30 30
London 2.3 0 40 50
South East 8.5 10 50 60
South West 0.0 0 20 20
Special HAs 4 4 4 4
1 Three month vacancies are vacancies as at 31 March 2001 which trusts are actively trying to fill, which had lasted for three months or more (whole time equivalents).
2 Three month vacancy rates are three month vacancies expressed as a percentage of three month vacancies plus staff in post from the September 2000 medical and dental workforce census (whole time equivalent).
3 Vacancy and staff in post numbers are rounded to the nearest 10.
4 Percentages are rounded to one decimal place.
5 Figures where sum of staff in post and vacancies is less than 10.

Notes:

1. Percentages are rounded to one decimal place.

2. Totals may not equal sum of component parts due to rounding.

3. Due to rounding, calculating the vacancy rates using the above data may not equal the actual vacancy rates.

4. Figures may not match previously published data due to a different method of rounding used on the staff in post data.

Source:

Department of Health Vacancies Survey 2001.

Department of Health Medical and Dental Workforce Census 2000.

Department of Health Vacancies Survey, March 2002 Vacancies in NHS trusts by region, total psychiatry group of consultants, 3 month vacancy rates1,2 and numbers
Psychiatry group (consultants)
3 month vacancy rates (percentage) 3 month vacancies Staff in post (wte) Staff in post (hc)
England 8.5 250 2710 3,030
Northern and Yorkshire 10.8 40 330 350
Trent 6.1 20 280 300
West Midlands 9.3 30 280 290
North West 12.2 40 300 330
Eastern 8.6 20 250 280
London 6.8 50 620 730
South East 7.5 30 390 480
South West 7.7 20 250 260
Special HAs 7.7 0 10 10
1 Three month vacancies are vacancies as at 31 March 2002 which trusts are actively trying to fill, which had lasted for three months or more (whole time equivalents).
2 Three month vacancy rates are three month vacancies expressed as a percentage of three month vacancies plus staff in post form this survey.

Notes:

1. Percentages are rounded to one decimal place.

2. Totals may not equal sum of component parts due to rounding.

3. Due to rounding, calculating the vacancy rates using the above data may not equal the actual vacancy rates.

4. Figures may not match previously published data due to a different method of rounding used on the staff in post data.

Source:

Department of Health Vacancies Survey 2001.

Department of Health Medical and Dental Mini Census 2002.