Friday 20 March 2026
Internal Reference Number: FOI_9233
Date Request Received: 17/02/2026 00:00:00
Date Request Replied To: 24/02/2026 00:00:00
This response was sent via: By Email
Request Summary: Workforce Planning for Prosthetic and Orthotic Services
Request Category: Health
| Question Number 1: The questions below are designed to establish whether your organisation provides or commissions Prosthetic and/or Orthotic services, how these services are delivered, and whether workforce planning is being carried out to ensure adequate staffing levels now and in the future. Information Requested Please provide responses to each of the following questions. Where a question is not applicable to your organisation, please state “Not Applicable” and briefly explain why. Definitions and Clarifications For the purposes of this request: • Prosthetic service refers to the provision of artificial limbs and associated clinical rehabilitation services to patients following amputation or with limb absence. • Orthotic service refers to the provision of orthoses (external devices such as braces, splints, and insoles) and associated clinical services to patients with musculoskeletal, neurological, or other conditions. • In-house means the service is delivered by staff directly employed by your Trust/Health Board. • Contracted means the service is delivered under a contract with an external provider (e.g. a private prosthetic or orthotic company) who directly employ the prosthetists and/or orthotists. • Workforce planning refers to any systematic analysis of current and future workforce requirements, including assessment of vacancies, skill mix, succession planning, retirement profiles, and demand modelling. • WTE means Whole Time Equivalent, reflecting the proportion of full-time hours worked. Does your Trust/Health Board currently provide or commission a Prosthetic service? Yes / No | |
| Answer To Question 1: No | |
| Question Number 2: Does your Trust/Health Board currently provide or commission an Orthotic service for patients? Yes / No | |
| Answer To Question 2: Yes | |
| Question Number 3: a) If you answered Yes to Question 1: Is your Prosthetic service delivered in-house (i.e. directly employed NHS staff) or is it contracted out to an external provider? In-house / Contracted / Mixed (please specify) / Not applicable b) If you answered Yes to Question 2: Is your Orthotic service delivered in-house (i.e. directly employed NHS staff) or is it contracted out to an external provider? In-house / Contracted / Mixed (please specify)/ Not applicable | |
| Answer To Question 3: In-house | |
| Question Number 4: Does your Trust/Health Board carry out workforce planning analysis for your Allied Health Professional (AHP) workforce? Yes / No | |
| Answer To Question 4: Yes | |
| Question Number 5: a) If you answered Yes to Question 4: Does your AHP workforce planning specifically include your Prosthetic service workforce (whether in-house or contracted)? Yes / No / Not applicable b) If you answered Yes to Question 4: Does your AHP workforce planning specifically include your Orthotic service workforce (whether in-house or contracted)? Yes / No / Not applicable | |
| Answer To Question 5: a) If you answered Yes to Question 4: Does your AHP workforce planning specifically include your Prosthetic service workforce (whether in-house or contracted)? Not applicable b) If you answered Yes to Question 4: Does your AHP workforce planning specifically include your Orthotic service workforce (whether in-house or contracted)? No | |
| Question Number 6: a) If your Prosthetic service is contracted out (as indicated in Question 3a): Does your Trust/Health Board carry out workforce planning for the contracted Prosthetic service? Yes / No / Not applicable b If your Orthotic service is contracted out (as indicated in Question 3b): Does your Trust/Health Board carry out workforce planning for the contracted Orthotic service? Yes / No / Not applicable | |
| Answer To Question 6: a) If your Prosthetic service is contracted out (as indicated in Question 3a): Does your Trust/Health Board carry out workforce planning for the contracted Prosthetic service? Not applicable b If your Orthotic service is contracted out (as indicated in Question 3b): Does your Trust/Health Board carry out workforce planning for the contracted Orthotic service? Not applicable | |
| Question Number 7: a) If you answered Yes to Question 6a: How does your Trust/Health Board collate workforce planning data from the contracted Prosthetic service provider? Please describe the process, including the frequency of data collection and what data is gathered. Free text b) If you answered Yes to Question 6b: How does your Trust/Health Board collate workforce planning data from the contracted Orthotic service provider? Please describe the process, including the frequency of data collection and what data is gathered. Free text | |
| Answer To Question 7: a) If you answered Yes to Question 6a: How does your Trust/Health Board collate workforce planning data from the contracted Prosthetic service provider? Please describe the process, including the frequency of data collection and what data is gathered. Not applicable b) If you answered Yes to Question 6b: How does your Trust/Health Board collate workforce planning data from the contracted Orthotic service provider? Please describe the process, including the frequency of data collection and what data is gathered. Not applicable | |
| Question Number 8: If your Trust/Health Board does not carry out workforce planning for its Prosthetic and/or Orthotic services (whether in-house or contracted), please explain what steps you are taking to secure the prosthetic and/orthotic workforce pipeline. Free text | |
| Answer To Question 8: Regular review of demand vs capacity with cases for staffing as needed. | |
| Question Number 9: Does your Trust/Health Board include data from its Prosthetic and/or Orthotic services (whether in-house or contracted) in any workforce returns submitted to NHS England, NHS Wales, NHS Scotland, or equivalent national workforce planning bodies? Yes / No / Don’t know – please specify which returns | |
| Answer To Question 9: Don't know | |
| Question Number 10: Please provide the current whole time equivalent (WTE) staffing establishment for your Prosthetic and/or Orthotic services, broken down by: (a) Prosthetists, (b) Orthotists, (c) Prosthetic/Orthotic Technicians, (d) Prosthetic/Orthotic support workers (e) Please indicate whether each figure relates to in-house or contracted staff. Numerical breakdown with in-house/contracted designation | |
| Answer To Question 10: (a) Prosthetists, 0 (b) Orthotists 4.0 WTE (c) Prosthetic/Orthotic Technicians,0 (d) Prosthetic/Orthotic support workers 0 (e) Please indicate whether each figure relates to in-house or contracted staff. 4.0 WTE In house Numerical breakdown with in-house/contracted designation | |
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