Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many clinical nurse specialists are employed by each health trust in England.

Information on the number of clinical nurse specialists employed by each health trust in England is only available centrally for those working in cancer, diabetes and trauma. This is available through the National Peer Review Programme, which is a quality assurance programme managed by NHS England for the National Health Service. However, the information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The Government has supported the development of a range of specialist roles within nursing. It is for local NHS organisations with their knowledge of the healthcare needs of their local population to invest in training for specialist skills and to deploy specialist nurses. Specialist nurses provide invaluable support for patients and their families. They are able to provide specialist treatment and advice and act as a gateway to other members of the multidisciplinary team, which improves care and outcomes.