Local national health service organisations are best placed to assess the health needs of their local health community and plan the work force they need.
The Department does collect the number of radiographers and radiologists working in the NHS. Data for the West Midlands and the NHS organisations which cover the Tamworth area have been set out in the following table, including figures for 1997 and the three most recent years for which data are available.
Headcount 1997 2004 2005 2006 England 12,428 15,058 15,775 15,739 Diagnostic Radiographers 10,364 12,147 12,700 12,535 Radiologists 2,064 2,911 3,075 3,204 of which: West Midlands SHA area 1,274 1,601 1,638 1,625 Diagnostic Radiographers 1,082 1,312 1,345 1,324 Radiologists 192 289 293 301 of which: Mid Staffordshire General Hospitals NHS Trust 45 60 70 72 Diagnostic Radiographers 40 54 65 65 Radiologists 5 6 5 7 South Staffordshire Primary Care Trust (PCT)1 n/a 13 13 13 Diagnostic Radiographers n/a 13 13 13 Radiologists 0 0 0 0 n/a = Not applicable 1 In 2006 Burntwood, Lichfield and Tamworth PCT, Cannock Chase PCT, East Staffordshire PCT and South Western Staffordshire PCT merged to form the South Staffordshire PCT. Figures prior to 2006 are an aggregate of these four predecessor organisations. Note: More accurate validation processes in 2006 have resulted in the identification and removal of 9,858 duplicate non-medical staff records out of the total work force figure of 1.3 million in 2006. Earlier years’ figures could not be accurately validated in this way and so will be slightly inflated. The level of inflation in earlier years’ figures is estimated to be less than 1 per cent. of total across all non-medical staff groups for headcount figures (and negligible for full time equivalents). This should be taken into consideration when analysing trends over time. Sources: The Information Centre Non Medical Workforce Census. The Information Centre for health and social care Medical and Dental Workforce Census.