Doctor vacancies fall
GP and consultancy vacancies are continuing to fall, according to new figures published by health minister Lord Warner.
There are now 31,210 consultants and 32,190 GPs working in the NHS, while vacancies among nurses, allied health professionals and scientific, therapeutic and technical staff are also down.
“This suggests the increased demand for healthcare professionals, which was created by the expansion of NHS services, is now beginning to match supply as more NHS jobs are filled,” Lord Warner said.
He added: “The challenge is to develop new ways of working so that staff can work more productively, delivering quality services that are centred on patients’ needs’.”
However, figures from the British Medical Association (BMA) published earlier this week suggest there may be a downside to this reduction in vacancies.
It warned of a shortage of training posts in the NHS for newly qualified doctors, which may result in doctors leaving to work overseas or quit medicine altogether.
