§ Mr. GoodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what attempts were made by Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust to recruit paediatric staff in(a) 2001, (b) 2002 and (c) 2003. [167484]
§ Ms Rosie Winterton[holding answer 22 April 2004]: The information requested is not collected centrally. In line with our policy on "Shifting the Balance of Power", responsibility for local services now rest with the local trusts.
However, I have been informed that considerable efforts have been made by Buckinghamshire Hospitals National Health Service Trust and its predecessors to recruit paediatric staff since 2001. Trusts have been 841W successful in attempts to recruit senior house officers (SHOs) over recent years. However, there has been no consultant recruitment in this period.
The trust is currently exploring more ways to support the service such as gaining further accredited training posts, and is also introducing a new foundation programme post at the SHO level.