title: Fall in nursing and midwifery vacancies receives cautious welcome.
abstract: Nursing and midwifery vacancies have fallen, according to figures released by the Department of Health earlier this summer. There has been a limited reduction in overall three-month vacancies in 2000-2001, down 0.5 per cent from the previous year, to 3.4 per cent. The figures also show that more than 3,000 nurses and midwives have returned to practice or were in training to do so.