The Information Centre for Health and Social Care collects information as at 31 March about posts that have been vacant for three months or more that trusts and primary care trusts are actively trying to recruit to.
The general practitioner practice vacancies survey produces an estimated three-month vacancy figure from a sample of 2,000 randomly selected GP practices in England, stratified by strategic health authority.
Information on the number of frozen posts is not collected centrally.
Information about the number of qualified staff who are seeking work in the national health service is not collected centrally.