Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of NHS staff who have been sacked for clinical negligence in each year between 2019 and 2024.

The Department does not hold information on the number of National Health Service staff who have been dismissed for clinical negligence.

NHS England publishes monthly statistics detailing information on NHS staff recorded within the Electronic Staff Record, the human resource system for the NHS. Each quarter, these statistics include data on ‘reasons for leaving’, where these have been recorded upon a member of staff leaving or moving employment. The published data is available as part of the data each March, June, September, and December, at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-workforce-statistics

Data on dismissals is available in four categories, namely those due to ‘capability’, ‘conduct’, ‘some other substantial reason’, and ‘statutory reason’. There is no way to report those specifically for clinical negligence.

Any interpretation of data should be made with the understanding that not all assignments that finish in the NHS result in a ‘reason for leaving’ being recorded. Therefore, the data presented can be viewed as a minimum number of leavers in any giving category. From analysis of the records of staff who leave NHS employment entirely, it is estimated that approximately one third of leavers do not have a reason recorded.