The NHS is unable to fill thousands of jobs

Statistics published by the Department of Health show more doctors and nurses are now working in the NHS.

But they also show that hospitals and GP clinics are still having problems filling key posts.

As a result, thousands of medical posts are lying vacant for months with trusts unable to find suitable people to fill them.

Job vacancies

The figures show that at the end of March, 1,260 hospital consultant posts had been vacant for over three months.

This represents 4.7% of all consultant posts in England and is much higher than last year.

More still needs to be done to address nursing vacancies Beverly Malone, Royal College of Nursing

There are also serious problems at primary care level, with 3.3% of GP posts lying vacant for over three months.

Overall, almost 8,000 nursing posts had been vacant for three months at the end of March.

The most severe shortages were in psychiatry, learning disabilities and paediatrics.

NHS managers were also struggling to fill over 2,000 other health professional posts.

Their biggest problems are in trying to recruit therapeutic radiographers. More than one in 10 of these posts has been vacant for more than three months.

There is also a serious shortage of pharmacists, physiotherapists, psychologists and staff to man operating theatres.

Nevertheless, more people are taking up jobs in the NHS.

More recruits

According to the Department of Health, there were 950 extra hospital consultants, and 507 more GPs compared to September 2002.

Overall, it said there are now 6,500 more consultants and 1,600 more GPs and an extra 55,000 nurses compared to 1997.

Health Minister John Hutton said: "These figures show that we are seeing a steady, year-on-year improvement in the number of doctors and nurses and other frontline healthcare staff working within the NHS.

"This is directly related to the record levels of resources being invested into the service."

But Beverly Malone, general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said: "Many of these extra nurses are part time and more still needs to be done to address nursing vacancies."

A British Medical Association spokesman said: "The BMA welcomes the recruitment of more doctors into the NHS, but would like to make it clear that the UK is still short of doctors.

"Despite these increases, the number of doctors per patient in the UK is a third less than found in both France and Germany.

"Furthermore these figures suggest the government is unlikely to meet its own recruitment targets for the NHS Plan by 2004."

The government committed itself three years ago to recruiting an additional 7,500 hospital consultants and 2,000 GPs by 2004.

Shadow Health Secretary Dr Liam Fox accused the government of trying to manipulate staffing figures.

"The government's figures are a headcount, not whole time equivalent, so patients will not see an increase of anything like this in real clinical staff.

"Those doctors and nurses working part time are also included in the overall figures.

"The increase in vacancy rates for Consultants and GPs tells the real story of professional demoralisation with Labour's running of the NHS."

Liberal Democrat health spokesman Evan Harris said: "It is bitterly disappointing for patients and a shattering blow for the government to see a 22% increase in the consultant vacancy rate and a 15% increase in the GP vacancy rate.