Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many applicants were (a) accepted onto and (b) rejected from the NHS Scientist Training Programme in (i) 2021-2022, (ii) 2022-2023 and (iii) 2023-2024.
The following table shows the total number of annual starters in the NHS Scientist Training Programme, as well as their split by the in-service and direct entry routes, and the number of rejected or unsuccessful direct entry applicants, each year from 2021/22 to 2024/25:
Year | Total starters | In-service | Direct entry | Rejected or unsuccessful direct entry applicants |
2024/25 | 534 | 146 | 388 | 6,705 |
2023/24 | 489 | 116 | 373 | 5,099 |
2022/23 | 501 | 127 | 374 | 7,227 |
2021/22 | 404 | 89 | 315 | 5,931 |
Source: National School of Healthcare Science, NHS England.
Direct entry posts are open to all, so long as they meet the published entry criteria, and are successful via the recruitment process, which is managed by the National School of Healthcare Science (NSHCS).
Applicants to the in-service posts are nominated by their host trust or employer and will have gone through an internal recruitment process within said trust or employer, in order for them to be nominated to join the programme, having met the published entry criteria as stated by the NSHCS.