Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the shortage of doctors and nurses in the NHS.

The latest monthly workforce statistics for July 2015 which are published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre show that since May 2010 there are 10,500 more doctors and 5,800 more nurses, midwives and health visiting staff currently employed in the National Health Service in England. This represents increases of 11% and 1.9% respectively.

The Department has set up Health Education England (HEE) to deliver a better health and healthcare workforce for England. They are responsible for ensuring a secure workforce supply that reflects the needs of local service users, providers and commissioners of healthcare.

HEE has increased adult nurse training places by 14% over the last two years and is forecasting that more than 23,000 additional nurses will be in place by 2019.

The Government has maintained the number of undergraduate medical training places at a level sufficient to support continued increase in the medical workforce in England.Where there are shortages in specific specialties, the Department will work with HEE and NHS England to address them for example, through the ten point plan for the general practice workforce.