§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health, (1) if he will list for each(a) strategic health authority and (b) primary care trust the number of consultants in communicable diseases in each year since 1996; [144789]
(2) if he will list for each (a) strategic health authority and (b) primary care trust the three month vacancy figures for consultants in communicable diseases in each year since 1996. [144790]
§ Mr. HuttonThe number of consultants in communicable diseases, or communicable disease control (CDC) is not collected by the Department.
The main specialties under which CDC falls are public health medicine and microbiology and virology.
Information relating to the number of consultants in public health medicine and microbiology and virology in each strategic health authority and primary care trust since 1996 has been placed in the Library.
Vacancy data has only been collected by the Department since 1999. Between 1999 and 2001, only a limited number of specialties were collected. 2002 is the first year when a significant number of key specialties were individually collected. Available data has been placed in the Library.