08 July 2008 - Statistics from the Northern Ireland Health and Social Care Vacancy Survey

The survey contains details of numbers of current, long-term vacancies and vacancy rate figures for various staff groups across different service areas within individual trusts and boards.

Information is also presented showing trends in vacancies between September 2002 and September 2007 for particular staff groups, and March 2006 and September 2007 for HSC organisations.

This is the first vacancy survey where the information is presented based on the new 5-trust configuration.

Key Points

• At 30 September 2007, there were a total of 1,563 current Whole-Time Equivalent (WTE) vacancies in NI HSC organisations. This also includes 539 long-term WTE vacancies.
• The total number of current WTE vacancies decreased by 15.1% between September 2006 and September 2007, while the number of long-term WTE vacancies decreased by 21.6% over the same period.
• The total number of current WTE vacancies in Nursing & Midwifery, Ancillary & General and Medical & Dental staff groups all decreased (by 38.4%, 35.4% and 26.9% respectively) between September 2006 and September 2007, and the number of long-term WTE vacancies also decreased (by 27.9%, 27.8% and 2.8% respectively) over the same period.
• Current and long-term WTE vacancies in the Social Services staff group increased between September 2006 and 2007, by 40.6% and 14.2% respectively. This increase is attributable to an increase in Home Help vacancies.
• The highest overall WTE current vacancy rate was reported by Belfast Health & Social Care Trust with a rate of 3.6%. The lowest overall WTE current vacancy rate was reported Western Health & Social Care Trust with a rate of 1.2%. The average overall WTE current vacancy rate for all Health & Social Care Trusts and organisations was 2.9%.

Details of the Bulletin can be found on the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety website

Notes to Editors:

1. The survey was issued to record vacancies as at 30 September 2007. It was issued to all HSC organisations and there was a 100% response rate. This is the ninth survey in the series and the sixth to be conducted on a biannual cycle. It is the first to report vacancies using the new trust configuration. As with previous surveys, long-term and current vacancy data were collected for the main staff groups. Information on the number of temporary posts that are vacant is also separately presented in the main report. All data have been obtained directly from NI HSC trusts and organisations.

WTE is calculated by aggregating the total number of hours staff in a particular grade are contracted to work and dividing by the full time hours for that grade. In this way, part-time staff are converted into an equivalent number of 'whole-time' staff.

A current vacancy is an unoccupied post which at 30 September was vacant and which the organisation was actively trying to fill. A long-term vacancy is an unoccupied post which at 30 September had been vacant for three months or more (was vacant prior to 30 June) and which the organisation was actively trying to fill. Long-term vacancies are a sub-set of current vacancies.

The NI HSC Vacancy Survey will now be published on the internet biannually. The next survey to be published will relate to 31 March 2008 and will be published in autumn 2008. Future publication dates will be pre-announced on the publications page of the DHSSPS website but it is not intended to routinely issue further press releases.

Further information on the NI HPSS Workforce is available from:

6 Media queries to DHSSPS Press Office on 028 9052 0074, or out of hours contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 076 9971 5440 and your call will be returned.