New data reveals GP vacancies are harder to fill than most other jobs in England’s NHS.
For most major NHS staff groups except GPs and midwives, long-term vacancy rates have fallen, NHS Information Centre figures show.
The vacancy rate for GPs is around 2.1% (125), compared with 1.6% (79) last year, according to the GP Practice Vacancies survey 2010.
Vacancy rates for medical and dental staff, including dentists and hospital doctors, are around 4.4%, down from 2009’s rate of 5.2%, the NHS Vacancy Survey showed on 31 March 2010.
Qualified nursing vacancy rates fell from 3.1% last year to 2.5% this year.
“These survey figures show a slight dip in long-term vacancies for most of the main staff groups in the English NHS.,” said NHS Information Centre leader Tim Straughan.
“However midwives and GPs seem to be the exception to the general pattern. Such findings will be of use to the NHS in showing which job roles appear to be difficult to fill.”
Copyright © Press Association 2010
