What assessment has the Welsh Government made of (a) current (b) projected workforce needs for consultant hepatologists by whole-time equivalent?
Health boards, through their Integrated Medium Term Plans (IMTPs), plan their workforce based on population need. Workforce recommendations are developed annually by Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) based on workforce data made available by health boards and other sources. This information is not held centrally by the Welsh Government.
The HEIW Education and Training Plan 2022-23 recommended an expansion in hepatology consultants to improve outcomes for patients with liver disease. As a result, from September 2022 trainees in Wales can undertake advanced hepatology training leading to sub-speciality accreditation in hepatology, training provision previously unavailable in Wales.