To ask the Scottish Government what the vacancy rate for (a) psychologists, (b) liaison psychologists and (c) consultant psychologists has been in each NHS board in each of the last five years.
Information on the vacancy rate of all applied psychologists being advertised within psychology services in each NHSScotland health board is provided from September 2011 to December 2015 in Table 1.
Information on vacancy rates of (b) liaison psychologists and (c) consultant psychologists in each NHSScotland health board in each of the last five years is not held centrally.
The Scottish Government has announced an additional £150 million for mental health services over the next five years. As part of this funding, £4.8 million will be awarded to Healthcare Improvement Scotland to establish a ‘Mental Health Access Improvement Support Team’ who will provide a comprehensive package of support to work in partnership with boards to improve access to mental health services.
The total number of clinical staff employed in psychology services across NHSScotland has increased by 24.5 per cent since March 2011. Any fluctuation in vacancies is linked to our efforts to increase capacity by recruiting even more staff.
Table 1: Whole time equivalent of psychologist vacancies being advertised within psychology services by NHS board as at September 2011 to December 2015.
|
Clinical Psychologist
|
Counselling Psychologist
|
Health Psychologist
|
Total (All Applied Psychologists)
|
NHS Ayrshire and Arran
|
4.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
4.0
|
NHS Borders
|
1.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
1.0
|
NHS Dumfries and Galloway
|
2.7
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
2.7
|
NHS Fife
|
1.0
|
1.0
|
0.0
|
2.0
|
NHS Forth Valley
|
2.9
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
2.9
|
NHS Grampian
|
6.5
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
6.5
|
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
|
12.7
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
12.7
|
NHS Highland
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
NHS Lanarkshire
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
NHS Lothian
|
8.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
8.0
|
NHS Orkney
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
NHS Shetland
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
NHS Tayside
|
5.4
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
5.4
|
NHS Western Isles
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
State Hospital
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
NHSScotland
|
44.2
|
1.0
|
0.0
|
45.2
|
|
Clinical Psychologist
|
Counselling Psychologist
|
Health Psychologist
|
Total (All Applied Psychologists)
|
NHS Ayrshire and Arran
|
9.3
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
9.3
|
NHS Borders
|
1.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
1.0
|
NHS Dumfries and Galloway
|
4.8
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
4.8
|
NHS Fife
|
5.7
|
0.6
|
0.0
|
6.3
|
NHS Forth Valley
|
5.4
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
5.4
|
NHS Grampian
|
0.4
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.4
|
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
|
16.2
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
16.2
|
NHS Highland
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
NHS Lanarkshire
|
1.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
1.0
|
NHS Lothian
|
7.8
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
7.8
|
NHS Orkney
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
NHS Shetland
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
NHS Tayside
|
2.1
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
2.1
|
NHS Western Isles
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
State Hospital
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
NHSScotland
|
53.7
|
0.6
|
0.0
|
54.3
|
|
Clinical Psychologist
|
Counselling Psychologist
|
Health Psychologist
|
Total (All Applied Psychologists)
|
NHS Ayrshire and Arran
|
9.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
9.0
|
NHS Borders
|
1.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
1.0
|
NHS Dumfries and Galloway
|
1.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
1.0
|
NHS Fife
|
1.6
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
1.6
|
NHS Forth Valley
|
1.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
1.0
|
NHS Grampian
|
1.2
|
0.3
|
0.0
|
1.5
|
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
|
13.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
13.0
|
NHS Highland
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
NHS Lanarkshire
|
1.5
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
1.5
|
NHS Lothian
|
9.9
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
9.9
|
NHS Orkney
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
NHS Shetland
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
NHS Tayside
|
9.7
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
9.7
|
NHS Western Isles
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
State Hospital
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
NHSScotland
|
48.9
|
0.3
|
0.0
|
49.2
|
|
Clinical Psychologist
|
Counselling Psychologist
|
Health Psychologist
|
Total (All Applied Psychologists)
|
NHS Ayrshire and Arran
|
9.2
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
9.2
|
NHS Borders
|
1.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
1.0
|
NHS Dumfries and Galloway
|
1.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
1.0
|
NHS Fife
|
4.9
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
4.9
|
NHS Forth Valley
|
1.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
1.0
|
NHS Grampian
|
6.6
|
0.3
|
0.0
|
6.9
|
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
|
28.8
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
28.8
|
NHS Highland
|
2.3
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
2.3
|
NHS Lanarkshire
|
5.4
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
5.4
|
NHS Lothian
|
1.7
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
1.7
|
NHS Orkney
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
NHS Shetland
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
NHS Tayside
|
10.9
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
10.9
|
NHS Western Isles
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
State Hospital
|
0.6
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.6
|
NHSScotland
|
73.4
|
0.3
|
0.0
|
73.7
|
|
Clinical Psychologist
|
Counselling Psychologist
|
Health Psychologist
|
Total (All Applied Psychologists)
|
NHS Ayrshire and Arran
|
0.6
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.6
|
NHS Borders
|
1.8
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
1.8
|
NHS Dumfries and Galloway
|
1.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
1.0
|
NHS Fife
|
1.5
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
1.5
|
NHS Forth Valley
|
4.1
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
4.1
|
NHS Grampian
|
4.4
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
4.4
|
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
|
15.6
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
15.6
|
NHS Highland
|
3.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
3.0
|
NHS Lanarkshire
|
4.8
|
1.0
|
0.0
|
5.8
|
NHS Lothian
|
4.3
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
4.3
|
NHS Orkney
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
NHS Shetland
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
NHS Tayside
|
3.5
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
3.5
|
NHS Western Isles
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
State Hospital
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
NHSScotland
|
44.6
|
1.0
|
0.0
|
45.6
|
Source NHS Education for Scotland Information Services Division (ISD) Psychology Workforce Database.
Further information on the psychology workforce is published by ISD Scotland and can be found at the following link:
http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Workforce/Psychology/.