Paragraph 3.21 of the Cancer Reform Strategy stated that the extension of the national health service breast screening programme to nine screening rounds between the ages of 47 and 73 years will start from April 2008, with full implementation expected by the end of 2012.
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland (Dr. Kumar), on 31 January 2008, Official Report, column 594W.
The number of breast screening radiographers and radiologists recruited each year is not collected centrally. Local national health service organisations are best placed to assess the health needs of their local health community and plan the workforce they need.
The annual NHS Workforce Census does not separately identify the number of breast screening radiographers and radiologists employed from the rest of the radiography and radiology workforce.
The Department does collect the number of radiographers and radiologists working in the NHS. The number of qualified radiographers employed in the NHS has increased by 2,793 (23.72 per cent.) since September 1997.
The number of diagnostic radiographers has increased by 2,171 (20.9 per cent.) since 1997.
The number of therapeutic radiographers has increased by 622 (44.2 per cent.) since 1997.
The number of consultant radiologists has increased by 632 (42.9 per cent.) since 1997.
Headcount 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Qualified allied health professions All radiographers 11,771 12,118 12,330 10,478 10,655 13,031 13,344 13,900 14,539 14,564 Of which: Diagnostic radiography 10,364 10,645 10,839 9,169 9,264 11,489 11,687 12,147 12,700 12,535 Therapeutic radiography 1,407 1,473 1,491 1,309 1,391 1,542 1,657 1,753 1,839 2,029 Notes: 1. New occupation codes for health care scientists were introduced in 2003. As a result, a small number of staff previously included under diagnostic radiography are now classified within medical physics. 2. More accurate validation in 2006 has resulted in 9,858 duplicate records being identified and removed from the non-medical census. Although this represents less than 1 per cent. of total records, it should be taken into consideration when making historical comparisons. These 9,858 duplicate records, broken down by main staff group, are: 3,370 qualified nurses; 1,818 qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff; 2,719 support to doctors and nurses, 368 support to scientific, therapeutic and technical staff; 1,562 NHS infrastructure support; and 21 in other areas. 3. The impact of duplicates on full-time equivalent numbers has been minimal with the removal of 507. Source: The Information Centre for health and social care.
Number 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Radiology 1,473 1,514 1,540 1,616 1,683 1,745 1,860 1,928 2,058 2,105 Source: The Information Centre for health and social care.
The requested information is set out in the following table:
Breast screening unit 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 All ages 45 and over 36,232 35,191 35,367 38,123 40,007 East Lancashire 13,268 12,290 15,019 16,317 15,920 North Lancashire 22,964 22,901 20,348 21,806 24,087 Of which Ages 50-64 33,162 31,815 29,671 30,116 29,741 East Lancashire 12,356 10,851 11,420 12,641 12,259 North Lancashire 20,806 20,964 18,251 17,475 17,482 Notes: 1. The breast screening programme covers women aged 50-64, but it was extended to invite women aged 65-70 in April 2001. The last unit began inviting women aged 65-70 in April 2006 and full coverage should be achieved by 2008-09. 2. There are some women in the age range 45-49 who are invited to be screened, most of whom are women aged 49 who have been called for their first routine screening a few months early. Source: KC62 (parts 1, tables A to F2), The Information Centre for health and social care.