§ Lady HermonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many health care professionals from outside the United Kingdom were recruited to work in the NHS in Northern Ireland in each year since 1997; what positions they held; and what their nationality was. [150670]
§ Angela SmithInformation on the total numbers of non-UK health care professionals recruited into the NHS could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. Information is available, however, on the numbers of staff that were recruited from outside the UK as part of specific recruitment drives since 2000; No medical or professional and technical staff were recruited in this way during this period. The number of nursing staff, their grade and nationality are shown in Tables 1 and 2 as follows.
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Table 1: The number of non-UK nurses recruited to work in the NHS in Northern Ireland in each year since 2000 by grade Year Positions held Number recruited by HSS1Trusts 2000 Registered Nurse 8 Total 8 2001 Registered Nurse 94 Pre-Registered Nurse 33 Total 127 2002 Nursing Staff 12 Basic Grade Nurses 33 Staff Nurse (no grade given) 42 Enrolled Nurse C 40 Staff Nurse E 5 Staff Nurse D 11
Table 1: The number of non-UK nurses recruited to work in the NHS in Northern Ireland in each year since 2000 by grade Year Positions held Number recruited by HSS1 Trusts Qualified Nurse 6 Registered Nurse 96 Pre-registered Nurse 27 Total 272 2003 Nursing Staff 12 Basic Grade Nurses 18 Staff Nurse 48 Enrolled Nurse C 46 Staff Nurse D 28 Registered Nurse 78 Pre-registered Nurse 45 Total 275 1 Health and Social Services
Table 2: The number of non-UK nurses recruited to work in the NHS in Northern Ireland in each year since 2000 by nationality Year Nationality Number recruited by HSS1 Trusts 2000 Australian 8 Total 8 2001 Australian 23 Philippine 104 Total 127 2002 Philippine 211 Indian 36 Chinese 1 Other country 24 Total 272 2003 Indian 98 Philippine 177 Total 275 1 Health and Social Services
Number of nursing, midwifery and health visiting vacancies within all trusts as at 30 September 2002 and 30 September 2003 Trust WTE1 vacancies as at 30 September 2002 WTE1 vacancies as at 30 September 2003 Altnagelvin Group HSS Trust 80.3 33.7 Armagh and Dungannon HSS Trust 8.8 4.0 Belfast City Hospital HSS Trust 67.5 17.3 Causeway HSS Trust 15.0 33.0 Craigavon and Banbridge Community HSS Trust 8.7 2.0 Craigavon Area Hospital Group HSS Trust 35.1 15.6 Down Lisburn HSS Trust n/a 13.9 Foyle Community HSS Trust 29.0 13.0 Greenpark Healthcare HSS Trust 41.0 45.8 Homefirst Community HSS Trust 30.0 n/a Mater Infirmorum Hospital HSS Trust 46.0 71.7 Newry and Mourne HSS Trust 5.0 8.2 North and West Belfast HSS Trust 26.3 8.4 Royal Group of Hospitals HSS Trust 257.6 96.5 South and East Belfast HSS Trust 29.5 34.2 Sperrin Lakeland HSS Trust 26.0 16.0 Ulster Community and Hospitals Group HSS Trust 47.5 23.6 United Hospitals Group HSS Trust 59.0 23.5 Total 812.3 460.4 (does not include figure for Down Lisburn) (does not include figure for Homefirst) 1 Whole-time equivalent. As can be seen from the table, the vacancy situation has slightly unproved between 30 September 2002 and 30 September 2003. A review of the Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting Review was carried in late 2001/early 2002 and a report was issued in March 2002. It is proposed to carry out another detailed review of the Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting workforce in 2004.