Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to recruit more nurses in the West Midlands.

The Government will deliver 50,000 more nurses in the National Health Service in England. The Government has not set targets specific areas of the country. It is for individual employers to determine their workforce recruitment plans based on their local service needs.

The Government has already taken steps to deliver this national nursing commitment through providing a new financial support package. Eligible pre-registration nursing students will benefit from at least £5,000 per academic year which they will not need to pay back. This new grant will mean students have access to more money than under previous education funding systems and will encourage more people to apply, accept places and complete their courses.

A significant part of securing the future workforce, including nurses, will be through ensuring the NHS is the best place to work. A ‘new offer’ for all NHS staff will be released alongside the final NHS People Plan, which will detail the support that they can expect to receive from their employer.