Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to provide funding for the recruitment and retention of the oncology workforce in the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board.

Developing our workforce is key to supporting the delivery of effective and sustainable cancer services across England and in local areas, including for the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care System.

NHS England invested approximately £90 million on training and educating the cancer and diagnostics workforce throughout 2024/25, focusing on growing the number of specialist doctors, nurses, support workers, and allied health professionals, as well as providing opportunities to upskill those already providing frontline services.

NHS England is also expanding priority medical specialities, including clinical oncologists, medical oncologists, and clinical radiologists. This will aid our ability to recruit and retain the oncology workforce in the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board.

Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will publish the new National Cancer Plan, which will include further details on how we will reform the workforce.