This represented a 3% increase year on year from 11%[clarification needed] in 2013, 14% in 2014 and 17% in 2015 of all London nursing positions and 10% as an average nationwide.[clarification needed] According to a BBC article the Department of Health said it did not recognise the figures. The National Audit Office estimated that there was a shortfall of 7% in the supply of nurses.[36] There was a 3% fall in total registered nursing numbers for 2016/17 and a 23% rise in de-registrations. There were 17,000 permanently unfilled nurse vacancies across the UK.[37] In 2019 clinical pharmacology, spinal injuries, paediatric surgery, neurosurgery and neurology were the worst affected specialities.