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Hospital pharmacist vacancies falling

Vacancy rates for hospital pharmacists in England are falling, according to the Department of Health.

A survey of hospital posts carried out in March and available on the internet found that 5.3 per cent of pharmacist posts had been vacant for at least three months. This compares favourably with last year’s figure of 6.4 per cent (PJ, 23 September 2000, p434). This year’s figures make pharmacists the fourth most wanted qualified health professionals in the National Health Service, after therapeutic radiographers, dentists and operating theatre staff.

Pharmacy vacancy rates vary little across the regions (from 4.3 per cent in the Northern and Yorkshire region to 5.3 per cent in the South East region) with the exception of the Eastern region, where 10.5 per cent of posts are unfilled. However, the regional figures conceal wide variations between health authorities (HAs). Vacancies in the Northern and Yorkshire region range from nil in seven of its 13 HAs to 18.6 per cent in Sunderland HA. In the Eastern region, vacancy rates range from nil in Bedfordshire HA to 21.4 per cent in Suffolk HA. Overall, the highest vacancy rate is 29.8 per cent at Barnet HA in London.

The Department’s survey paints a more favourable picture than a survey carried out by the NHS Pharmacy Education and Development Committee, which put vacancies at 14.7 per cent (PJ, 10 June 2000, p866).

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