§ Bob SpinkTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the adequacy of provision of radiographers in England; and if he will make a statement. [164329]
§ Mr. HuttonConsiderable progress has been made in increasing the number of radiographers employed in the National Health Service. There are 13 per cent. more NHS radiographers than in 1997 and the number of training places has increased by 107 per cent. over the same period. The additional training places are now starting to make an impact on numbers in the workforce. However, there is more to do. National vacancy rates are 6.1 per cent. for diagnostic radiographers and 10.7 per cent. for therapeutic radiographers.
The Department recently launched a national radiography recruitment and retention strategy to build on the progress already made. For the next two years, this will focus on increasing the workforce, encouraging returns and developing an attractive career pathway for all radiography staff.