§ Dr. Evan HarrisTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the adequacy of 837W the supply of transplantation surgeons in the United Kingdom (a) at present and (b) if targets for increased transplant activities are met. [74238]
§ Mr. HuttonConsultants in transplant surgery are not separately identified but are drawn from a range of surgical specialties including cardiac and general surgery (including hepato-biliary) and urology. Postgraduate deans funded 11 new transplant training fellowships from April 2001.
These are aimed at providing additional training in organ transplantation to surgeons nearing the completion of their training. Following the publication of "A Health Service of All the Talents: Developing the NHS Workforce", workforce has been recognised as key to the successful delivery of the NHS Plan. New national workforce planning and development structures have therefore been set up to take up the challenge of delivering a multidisciplinary and integrated health and social care workforce to support service improvement. The supply of transplant surgeons necessary for the delivery of increased transplant activity will be kept under careful review.