Many medical specialities spend a considerable amount of time working with cancer patients, including staff from the anaesthetics, surgical and paediatric specialities, therefore it is not possible to give a total number of consultants employed in the treatment of cancer patients.
The NHS information centre has identified six main groups working in the treatment of cancer patients, a table of consultants working in these six groups since 2001 is shown as follows.
Number (headcount) England as 30 September each year 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 All main cancer specialties 3,721 3,913 4,169 4,381 4,593 4,711 4,810 5,034 Clinical oncology 333 315 347 392 438 482 506 533 Clinical radiology 1,645 1,702 1,810 1,876 2,014 2,061 2,086 2,224 Haematology 556 588 609 637 648 663 680 684 Histopathology 915 968 1,021 1,083 1,094 1,087 1,111 1,129 Medical oncology 147 185 202 201 215 233 225 235 Palliative medicine 125 155 180 192 184 185 202 229 Notes: Data Quality. Workforce statistics are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts in England. The NHS information centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data. Processing methods and procedures are continually being updated to improve data quality. Where this happens any impact on figures already published will be assessed but unless this is significant at national level they will not be changed. Where there is impact only at detailed or local level this will be footnoted in relevant analyses. Source: The information centre for health and social care medical and dental workforce census.