To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what percentage of consultant posts have been vacant and (i) covered and (ii) not covered by a locum in each year since 2007-08, broken down by NHS board.
We currently have the highest medical staffing levels ever, with record numbers of consultants. Under this government, consultant numbers across Scotland have increased by 1,464.9 whole time equivalent (WTE), or 40.3 per cent, to 5,101.4 WTE.
The consultant vacancy rate since 2007-08 has reduced from 6.9 per cent as at September 2007 to 6.4 per cent as at September 2015. Any fluctuation in consultant vacancies is linked to our efforts to increase capacity by recruiting even more staff.
Information on vacancies covered by locums is not held centrally.
Information on the number of consultant vacancies, broken down by NHSScotland board, is shown in table 1. Information on consultant vacancies as a percentage of establishment, broken down by NHSScotland board, is shown in table 2.
Table 1: Whole time equivalent of consultant vacancies as at 30 September each year
|
2007
|
2008
|
2009
|
2010
|
2011
|
2012
|
2013
|
2014
|
2015
|
Scotland
|
282.0
|
188.8
|
166.0
|
139.0
|
112.5
|
143.1
|
213.1
|
339.3
|
345.5
|
NHS Ayrshire and Arran
|
27.3
|
17.0
|
14.2
|
15.0
|
10.3
|
12.0
|
16.0
|
19.4
|
34.9
|
NHS Borders
|
9.5
|
3.0
|
-
|
5.0
|
-
|
6.0
|
6.5
|
8.0
|
6.0
|
NHS Dumfries and Galloway
|
11.6
|
6.9
|
8.0
|
9.0
|
13.0
|
12.8
|
12.0
|
20.0
|
18.0
|
NHS Fife
|
9.5
|
9.1
|
11.0
|
13.7
|
9.0
|
19.1
|
18.3
|
50.1
|
38.6
|
NHS Forth Valley
|
8.0
|
3.4
|
2.0
|
5.8
|
7.4
|
2.7
|
0.6
|
5.6
|
9.1
|
NHS Grampian
|
17.6
|
17.1
|
26.0
|
22.5
|
11.0
|
17.0
|
41.0
|
47.0
|
43.7
|
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
|
56.2
|
21.0
|
11.0
|
11.5
|
15.3
|
26.8
|
21.0
|
64.8
|
69.6
|
NHS Highland
|
27.2
|
13.0
|
8.0
|
7.0
|
7.0
|
5.0
|
16.0
|
24.7
|
21.2
|
NHS Lanarkshire
|
58.1
|
38.0
|
34.5
|
16.5
|
17.5
|
18.0
|
17.0
|
23.0
|
43.5
|
NHS Lothian
|
19.6
|
34.0
|
29.6
|
17.5
|
3.0
|
8.0
|
32.1
|
33.2
|
19.3
|
NHS Orkney
|
-
|
1.0
|
-
|
1.5
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
3.0
|
4.0
|
NHS Shetland
|
2.0
|
2.0
|
1.0
|
-
|
2.0
|
-
|
-
|
3.0
|
1.0
|
NHS Tayside
|
28.5
|
9.0
|
15.7
|
6.0
|
8.0
|
6.7
|
21.2
|
19.5
|
29.0
|
NHS Western Isles
|
5.0
|
5.0
|
2.0
|
6.0
|
7.0
|
8.0
|
4.0
|
6.0
|
4.0
|
NHS 24
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
0.5
|
-
|
-
|
0.6
|
NHS Education for Scotland
|
-
|
2.3
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
NHS Health Scotland
|
-
|
1.0
|
2.0
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
NHS Healthcare Improvement Scotland
|
-
|
2.0
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
6.0
|
-
|
National Services Scotland
|
1.0
|
4.0
|
-
|
2.0
|
1.0
|
-
|
1.0
|
3.0
|
-
|
National Waiting Times Centre
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
5.0
|
3.0
|
2.0
|
Scottish Ambulance Service
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
State Hospital
|
1.0
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1.0
|
1.0
|
1.0
|
-
|
1.0
|
Source: Scottish Workforce Information Standard System (SWISS), Information Services Division (M) 36.
Note:
1. The symbol “-” signifies where a figure is nil.
In March 2014 the definition of a vacancy changed to: a vacancy is a post which has been cleared for advert after being through the redeployment process (internal or external advert) and remains a vacancy until an individual starts in the post. Prior to this, a vacancy stopped being classified as such at the point when the post was offered to someone and accepted. The impact of this change is a significant increase in the number of reported vacancies.
Table 2: Consultant vacancies as a percentage of establishment as at 30 September each year
|
2007
|
2008
|
2009
|
2010
|
2011
|
2012
|
2013
|
2014
|
2015
|
Scotland
|
6.9%
|
4.3%
|
3.8%
|
3.1%
|
2.5%
|
3.1%
|
4.4%
|
6.5%
|
6.4%
|
NHS Ayrshire and Arran
|
12.6%
|
7.4%
|
5.8%
|
6.0%
|
4.3%
|
5.0%
|
6.2%
|
7.2%
|
11.9%
|
NHS Borders
|
12.7%
|
4.1%
|
0.0%
|
5.8%
|
0.0%
|
6.5%
|
6.9%
|
7.6%
|
5.8%
|
NHS Dumfries and Galloway
|
11.1%
|
6.0%
|
7.3%
|
7.7%
|
10.7%
|
10.9%
|
10.0%
|
15.9%
|
14.5%
|
NHS Fife
|
5.0%
|
4.5%
|
5.2%
|
6.2%
|
4.0%
|
8.1%
|
7.5%
|
18.1%
|
14.1%
|
NHS Forth Valley
|
5.0%
|
2.0%
|
1.8%
|
3.2%
|
3.8%
|
1.4%
|
0.3%
|
2.6%
|
4.0%
|
NHS Grampian
|
4.4%
|
3.8%
|
5.6%
|
4.8%
|
2.3%
|
3.5%
|
8.1%
|
8.8%
|
7.9%
|
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
|
4.6%
|
1.6%
|
0.9%
|
0.9%
|
1.2%
|
2.1%
|
1.6%
|
4.4%
|
4.5%
|
NHS Highland
|
14.4%
|
6.6%
|
4.0%
|
3.3%
|
3.3%
|
2.3%
|
6.9%
|
10.4%
|
8.8%
|
NHS Lanarkshire
|
17.0%
|
10.4%
|
8.8%
|
4.3%
|
4.3%
|
4.3%
|
4.0%
|
5.2%
|
9.2%
|
NHS Lothian
|
2.8%
|
4.4%
|
4.1%
|
2.5%
|
0.4%
|
1.1%
|
4.2%
|
3.8%
|
2.2%
|
NHS Orkney
|
0.0%
|
12.5%
|
0.0%
|
18.2%
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
22.2%
|
29.6%
|
NHS Shetland
|
17.2%
|
17.2%
|
8.6%
|
0.0%
|
17.1%
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
20.5%
|
6.8%
|
NHS Tayside
|
7.5%
|
2.3%
|
3.9%
|
1.4%
|
1.8%
|
1.5%
|
4.4%
|
3.9%
|
5.7%
|
NHS Western Isles
|
26.3%
|
21.1%
|
10.7%
|
29.8%
|
36.8%
|
46.2%
|
23.5%
|
30.0%
|
25.0%
|
NHS 24
|
-
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
33.3%
|
0.0%
|
23.1%
|
NHS Education for Scotland
|
0.0%
|
25.3%
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
NHS Health Scotland
|
0.0%
|
33.3%
|
40.0%
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
NHS Healthcare Improvement Scotland
|
0.0%
|
66.7%
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
85.7%
|
0.0%
|
National Services Scotland
|
2.8%
|
10.8%
|
0.0%
|
6.9%
|
3.4%
|
0.0%
|
4.1%
|
10.1%
|
0.0%
|
National Waiting Times Centre
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
7.8%
|
4.1%
|
2.6%
|
Scottish Ambulance Service
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
State Hospital
|
7.0%
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
7.1%
|
8.0%
|
8.7%
|
0.0%
|
8.3%
|
Source: Scottish Workforce Information Standard System (SWISS), Information Services Division (M) 36.
Notes:
1. Establishment is calculated as number of staff in post plus total vacancies.
2. The symbol “-” signifies where a figure is nil.