§ Mr. BaronTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the average vacancy rate is for midwives in the NHS, broken down by region; what proportion of midwife vacancies have remained vacant for more than three months in(a) England and (b) each region in the last year for which figures are available; which 10 regions of England have the highest vacancy rates; and what these rates are; [139021]
(2) what assessment he has made of the effect of the vacancy rate for midwives on decisions by midwives to leave the profession. [139240]
§ Mr. HuttonInformation on the number of vacancies for midwives lasting three months or more is collected in the national health service vacancy survey, information on the number of vacancies lasting less than three months is not collected centrally. The available information is shown in the table by Government regional office area and strategic health authority.
No assessment has been made on the effect of vacancy rates for midwives on decisions by midwives to leave the profession. The vacancy rate for midwives is comparable with that for the overall nursing work force. Since 1997, the number of midwives employed in the NHS has increased by 860 and the Government will continue to increase the NHS midwifery work force through a range of recruitment and retention initiatives.
603W
Department of Health Vacancies Survey, March 2003—Vacancies in strategic health authority areas and by Government regional office area for qualified midwives—three month vacancy rates, numbers and staff in post Qualified midwives March 2003 September 2002 Three month vacancy rate (percentage) Three month vacancy (number) Staff in post (whole-time equivalent) Staff in post (headcount) South East 4.7 122 2,522 3,414 Q16 Thames Valley strategic HA 2.0 14 722 1,004 Q17 Hampshire and Isle of Wight strategic HA 3.5 20 536 730 Q18 Kent and Medway strategic HA 5.7 30 509 660 Q19 Surrey and Sussex strategic HA 7.2 59 755 1,020 South West 1.6 28 1,785 2,358 Q20 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire strategic HA 2.3 19 827 1,091 Q21 South West Peninsula strategic HA 1.3 8 612 797 Q22 Dorset and Somerset strategic HA 0.3 1 345 470 East Midlands 1.3 17 1,307 1,697 Q24 Trent strategic HA 0.1 1 819 1,053 Q25 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland strategic HA 3.1 16 488 644 West Midlands 2.2 47 2,091 2,625 Q26 Shropshire and Staffordshire strategic HA 1.5 8 508 652 Q27 Birmingham and the Black Country strategic HA 3.7 39 1,010 1,234 Q28 Coventry, Warwickshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire strategic HA 0.0 — 573 739 Three month vacancy notes
1. Three month vacancy information is as at 31 March 2003
2. Three month vacancies are vacancies which Trusts are actively trying to fill, which had lasted for three months or more (whole time equivalents)
3. Three month Vacancy Rates are three month vacancies expressed as a percentage of three month vacancies plus staff in post
4. Three month Vacancy Rates for non-medical staff are calculated using staff in post from the Vacancy Survey, March 2003
5. Percentages are rounded to one decimal place
6. `—' zero
Staff in post notes
1. Staff in post data is from the Non-Medical Workforce Census, September 2002
2. '—' zero
General notes
1. Vacancy and staff in post numbers are rounded to the nearest whole number
2. Calculating the vacancy rates using the above data may not equal the actual vacancy rates
3. Due to rounding, totals may not equal the sum of component parts
4. Strategic HA figures are based on Trusts, and do not necessarily reflect the geographical provision of healthcare
Sources
Department of Health Vacancies Survey, March 2003
Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census, September 2002