The number of full-time equivalent (FTE) civil servants in the Department on 30 June 2008 was 2,208.
The number of FTE staff working within the Public Health Division of the Health Improvement and Protection Directorate is 58 (as at 12 September 2008), which includes civil servants, consultancy support and secondees. The number of FTE staff working within the Health and Well-being Division of the Health Improvement and Protection Directorate is 86.1 (as at 12 September 2008). Again, this figure includes civil servants, consultancy support and secondees. In addition, each of the nine regional public health groups has a headcount of 17.6 FTE civil servants, including the regional director of public health. In the 2008-09 planning round the headcount for the regions totalled 150.8 with the difference relating to vacancies.
However, within the Health Improvement and Protection Directorate and across the Department, there are other teams engaged in aspects of public health work.
At 12 September 2008, the equivalent of 4.2 FTE staff work on policies and programmes designed to achieve the Government’s target that 2 million more people regularly participate in physical activity before the 2012 Olympic Games. A further 1.0 FTE is currently being recruited. These figures include civil servants, consultancy support and secondees.
Furthermore, the Department has also assigned an envelope of funding to each of the nine regions for the comprehensive spending review period. In 2008-09 each Regional Public Health Group (RPHG) will receive £100,000 for physical activity. This will be used as each region sees best, to put in place action plans working with partner organisations and stakeholders, though each RPHG has been tasked by the Department to develop a regional 2012 Health Legacy Action Plan that complements the national Legacy Action Plan to deliver a 2012 health legacy. It is likely that a proportion of this funding will be used to secure additional capacity to take forward programmes.