Vacancy rates confirm that there is not a national shortage of midwives. The three-month vacancy rate for England has fallen from 3.3 per cent. in 2000 to 1.0 per cent. in 2006. The three-month vacancy rate in Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Strategic Health Authority was 0.6 per cent. in March 2006.
We met the target for 2,000 more midwives by 2005 ahead of schedule, and expect further increases in the work force as a result of increased training and return to practise. The 2005 work force census confirmed that there are more than 2,400 midwives employed in the national health service than there were in 2000.
Local NHS organisations are responsible for developing maternity services in response to the needs of their local population, and for ensuring that they have sufficient staff, with the right skills, to offer appropriate choices.
The number of midwives employed in the NHS in England and Gloucestershire is shown in the table.
Reference Number England 24,808 Of which: Total specified organisations 266 Cheltenham and Tewkesbury PCT 5KW 1 Cotswold and Vale PCT 5KY 43 Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust RTE 222 Source: The Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census