NHS Local Recruitment Shortfall for Specialist Staff

2.05.28pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 27th Apr 2005

Figures obtained by Vincent Cable from the SW London Strategic Health Authority (which covers six boroughs including Richmond) show that, in the last three years, there has been an increase of 854 in medical staff (7%) - nurses and doctors - but the number of specialist therapists and technicians has actually fallen.

Vincent Cable said: "my interest stemmed from an answer Tony Blair gave me in parliament, in Prime Ministers questions when he claimed that our local NHS health area had received 2700 more nurses and 700 more doctors. Even if we take SW London as a whole, there are only 783 nurses (11% increase) and 88 more doctors (12% increase) so his figures are totally incomprehensible".

"While there is a reassuring increase in clinical staff, this analysis has shown that there is a chronic problem of recruiting therapists as anyone can confirm who is trying to book a physiotherapist or a speech therapist. And there are serious problems in recruiting scientists and technicians who are often paid very badly even in NHS terms".