Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Action 25 of the National Cancer Plan, which NHS trusts have been identified as requiring additional oncology training places; and what proportion of those areas are in rural versus non-rural communities.

Reducing inequalities in cancer care is a priority for this Government. As part of the National Cancer Plan for England, the Government committed to creating additional training places for cancer consultants in areas with the greatest workforce need, including rural and coastal communities. NHS England is currently working through implementation arrangements.

Work is progressing on the expansion of 4,500 resident doctor posts, and is currently for the initial 1,000, although it is not intended specifically to address Action 25 set out in the National Cancer Plan. NHS England uses an allocations methodology that recommends the establishment of additional posts in geographies that are relatively under-resourced. As rural geographies tend to have fewer postgraduate medical training posts per need-adjusted population than urban ones, such geographies would be prioritised for expansion when we increased numbers of training opportunities.

NHS England is currently working with regional colleagues, Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education and trusts to identify additional resident doctor posts. NHS England cannot yet confirm how many of these additional posts will be in clinical oncology or medical oncology, as trusts have yet to send a complete list of expressions of interest in each training programme. Following receipt of the expressions of interest supporting the initial 1,000 posts, we will be able to assess that expansion and provide additional advice for the expansion of the remaining 3,500 posts which will follow in 2028 and 2029.