How many training places for clinical psychologists have been commissioned for the last three years?
In NHS Wales, responsibility for workforce planning is with health boards and trusts, as they are best placed to ensure the services they plan are matched to peoples needs – both now and in the future.
In order to achieve this they need to submit Integrated Medium Term Plans (IMTPs) that evidence an understanding of their challenges and priorities and the actions needed to achieve them in a financially sustainable way.
In February, I announced a £95m package to support a range of education and training programmes in Wales. As part of this package, I was able to maintain the level of investment in clinical psychology - 27 training places. This is the highest number of training places since devolution.
The table below sets out the level of training places commissioned in Wales from 2015 to 2017.
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
| 27 | 27 | 27 |
There are seven types of psychologists, of which only clinical psychology is identified in IMTPs and commissioned for NHS Wales.
These seven types of psychologists can legally use the protected title of practitioner psychologist – but this is not a profession in its own right and therefore not commissioned.