Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how Health Education England plans to increase the number of stroke specialists trained to deliver thrombectomy.

Health Education England is working with the Royal College of Radiology and other partners to increase the number of specialists trained to deliver thrombectomy by modernising the stroke workforce with a focus on cross-specialty and in some cases cross-profession accreditation of relevant competencies.

This includes work with the medical Royal Colleges and specialty societies to develop a new credentialing programme for hospital consultants from a variety of relevant disciplines who will be trained to offer mechanical thrombectomy. The details of this credentialing programme are being finalised and the programme is planned to start later this year.