NHS: Vacancies

Department of Health and Social Care written question – answered at on 22 July 2019.

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Photo of Colleen Fletcher Colleen Fletcher Opposition Whip (Commons)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help fill vacancies for medical staff in the NHS.

Photo of Stephen Hammond Stephen Hammond Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government has committed to funding for universities to offer an extra 1,500 undergraduate medical school places for domestic students. The first 630 places were taken up in September 2018 and the remaining additional places will have been made available by universities by 2020/21. By 2020, five new medical schools will have opened in England to help deliver the expansion.

The number of medical specialty training places that are available each year is set by Health Education England and based on their assessment of service gaps and predicted workforce needs.

However, it is the responsibility of National Health Service trusts to have staffing arrangements in place that deliver safe and effective care. This includes recruiting the staff needed to support these levels and meet local needs.

The NHS Long Term Plan set out the need to ensure a sustainable overall balance between supply and demand across all staff groups.

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