QUARTERS ENDING SEPTEMBER 1997 AND DECEMBER 1997

  The Department of Health carried out a survey of 100 NHS Trusts in October 1997 to gather information about recruitment and retention difficulties experienced by those trusts during the quarter ending September 1997. The survey was repeated using a combination of the same and new trusts, for the quarter ending December 1997.

  The Trusts were asked to provide details of difficulties experienced in recruiting or retaining staff where the difficulties were a threat to either the appropriate delivery of healthcare or the efficient running of the Trust, rather than about relatively minor or short-term problems.

  A summary of the information received from each Trust is recorded in the following tables for medical staff (excluding juniors) and qualified nursing and midwifery staff.

  The survey was not intended to provide information about the levels of shortages in specific staff groups. The main purpose of the survey was to provide the NHS Executive with documented evidence of the difficulties faced by Trusts and broad trends rather than the anecdotal evidence that was relied upon in the past.

Statistics (Workforce) B

NHS Executive

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