NHS South East includes the following:

• 24 Primary Care Trusts
• 13 acute trusts
• 1 ambulance trust
• 4 trusts providing mental health and specialist services

The South East is forecast to experience the second highest growth rate in the health and social care sector.  Caring personal service occupations are expected to contribute substantially to this increase.  However, recruiting people into these additional jobs will be a major challenge, as the region currently has the highest 3-month vacancy rates for health care assistants (5.8% compared to 2.2%).

Qualitative evidence suggests that skills shortages include: clinical specialists; IT skills communication skills; and management skills.

Source: NHS South East website 2006 and Skills Insight 2002

For more information on the health care sector in the region see:

South East Coast Strategic Health Authority

Regional (including Kent, Medway, Surrey and Sussex) Strategic Health Authority website with links to sub-regional websites, information and location of trusts and PCTs in the region, together with some information on the regional workforce.