Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many health visitors were employed in Pendle constituency in each year since 2009.

Information is not available in the format requested.

However, the most recent (December 2014) management information* estimates an indicative count of 11,310 full time equivalent (FTE) health visitors: some 3,218 more than the May 2010 baseline, representing an increase of 40% in the workforce.

* Published January 2015 by NHS England

Table: The number of qualified health visitors by specified organisation as at 30 September in each specified year.

Source:

Health and Social Care Information Centre, NHS Hospital & Community Health Service (HCHS) Non-Medical Workforce Census and provisional monthly workforce statistics

Notes:

1. '-' denotes zero

2. '..' denotes not applicable

3. 2009 to 2013 data is taken from the Non-Medical Workforce Census as at 30 September in each specified year.

4. 2014 data is taken from the provisional monthly workforce statistics as at 30 September in the specified year.

5. Parliamentary constituencies do not correspond directly to any recognised health geographies, so data is provided for organisations relevant to the area requested.

6. The changes in Health Visitor figures in individual organisations over the period of this request is likely due to moves in service provider from PCTs to neighbouring Trusts as part of Transforming Community Services (TCS). In addition, some functions and associated people may have moved to non-NHS bodies following the April 2013 reorganisation of the NHS, which may impact the figures.

7. These statistics relate to the contracted positions within English NHS organisations and may include those where the person assigned to the position is temporarily absent, for example on maternity leave.

8. Organisations are displayed alongside their latest name held in reference data

9. FTE figures are rounded to the nearest whole number.

10. As from 21st July 2010 the Health and Social Care Information Centre has published provisional monthly NHS workforce data. As expected with provisional statistics, some figures may be revised from month to month as issues are uncovered and resolved. The monthly workforce data is not directly comparable with the annual workforce census; it only includes those staff on the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) (i.e. it does not include Primary care staff or Bank staff). There are also new methods of presenting data (headcount methodology is different and there is now a role count). This information is available from September 2009 onwards at the following website: www.hscic.gov.uk

11. The Health and Social Care Information Centre seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality. Where changes impact on figures already published, this is assessed but unless it is significant at national level figures are not changed.