§ Mr. McLoughlinTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nursing vacancies there were in each Derbyshire NHS trust in(a) 1997 and (b) 2002; and if he will make a statement. [98891]
§ Mr. LammyThere is no data available on nursing vacancies prior to 1999. Since March that year the National Health Service has regularly conducted a vacancy survey. This survey collects information on the number of posts that the trusts are actively trying to fill which have been vacant for three months or more.
The tables show data collected from surveys that were carried out in March 1999 and March 2002.
633W
Department of Health Vacancies Survey/March 2002 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff(excluding HA staff) 3 month vacancy rate (percentage) 3 month vacancy number Amber Valley PCT 5.1 6 Central Derby PCT 0.0 0 Erewash PCT 8.4 10 Greater Derby PCT 4.5 5 Southern Derbyshire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 0.0 0 Southern Derbyshire Community and Mental Health NHS Trust 4.6 33 Note:
Three month vacancies are vacancies which trusts are actively trying to fill, which had lasted for three months or more(whole time equivalents), expressed as a percentage of three month vacancies plus staff in post
Sources:
Department of Health Vacancies Survey, March 1999
Department of Health Vacancies Survey, March 2002